Perfect Strangers
by Little Miss Bunny
Summary: Tsuna was just getting settled in Namimori again—until he started bailing out troubled teens from jail, helped a few kids off the streets, and hosted some of the most random but dangerous people in his home. He should've looked the other way, but he couldn't. They needed him. Older!Tsuna. Adult!Arco. Flameless!AU.
1. Chapter 1

" _There are no strangers here; only friends you haven't met yet."_ – William Butler Yeats

* * *

Tsuna led a good life—at least, he thought so.

He wasn't a bad kid. He drank his milk, listened to his mother, and did most of the things he was supposed to do.

Back in his school days, Tsuna was endlessly teased and bullied because of his short stature. It wasn't until college when he told the jackasses to kiss his ass before he moved to Tokyo. Who knew his nonexistent father had some nice apartments in the city? How the fuck would a simple _construction worker_ even own penthouses anyway? Needless to say, Tsuna was anything but an idiot. He was pretty sure his mother knew something was up, too; he just didn't have the heart to bring it up.

He thought he'd like the change of scenery—he really did; the city was amazing and he didn't have to see the same assholes every day within a 2-mile radius like in his small hometown—but he found himself homesick, unable to focus on his studies. His mother had supported him throughout his rocky junior year, not even chastising him when he dropped out and took a job as a barista. Who knew making coffee would be so therapeutic?

So, he spent the latter half of his year taking up odd jobs around Tokyo, shit-talking to his godawful roommates, and trying not to become homeless. It was fun until his homesickness got the better of him. He decided to move back to Namimori over the summer, and sagged in relief in his mother's warm arms.

It was truly good to be home.

His mother had caught him up on what happened in Namimori while he was away. He let her chatter as they both maneuvered around the kitchen, cooking a delicious lunch. Tsuna's mouth watered when he saw the food arranged on the table. It had been so long since he had a nice home meal. Sure, he could cook but between paying the rent and the groceries, it was difficult to do it often. He refused to ask his parents for money, especially his father, and opted to go on a cup ramen diet like the broke college student he was. Truly a humbling, miserable experience.

"You're so thin, Tsu-kun," his mother said, frowning. "Here, eat more."

"Thanks, Kaa-san," Tsuna said, shoveling more rice in his mouth. "This is really good."

Nana smiled. "I'm so happy to be eating with my adorable son again."

Tsuna nearly choked on his beef. "K—Kaa-san…"

Nana giggled. "It seemed like only yesterday when you wore your bunny pajamas and made a mess in the bathroom. Time flies so quickly."

"I'm 21 now, Kaa-san…"

"I know. Here, eat this." Nana placed some stir-fried vegetables on his rice. "Haru-chan brought some from her mother's garden yesterday. They're very fresh!"

Tsuna smiled at the mention of his childhood friend. Haru had always been there for him despite attending a different school. He _had_ kept in touch with her when he moved to Tokyo but…

He swallowed his rice, feeling the thick portion slide painfully down his throat.

 _No,_ he thought. _It's all over and done with._

"How's she doing?"

Nana clapped her hands. "Haru-chan actually opened up a wonderful store on Third Street a year ago. She's been very busy lately because so many people put in requests for her designs. She even has oversea customers!"

Tsuna grinned. "I'm glad. Maybe I'll visit her later."

Nana frowned. "Oh, she left for Tokyo this morning to meet with a client."

"Ah, I just missed her then. I can wait until she comes back."

"Of course! Now hurry and eat, Tsu-kun. Your food will get cold."

"Right."

They continued to eat and make occasional small talk, just taking warmth in each other's company. If anything, it was nice to get away from the heavy buzz of the city. Well, until Tsuna popped the big question. He internally winced.

"Hey, Kaa-san. Are there any cheap apartments in the area?"

Nana tilted her head. "Why are you looking for apartments, Tsu-kun?"

"It's not that I don't like living with you," Tsuna said quickly. "But I thought I'd appreciate my own space, you know?"

He had lived with roommates in Tokyo and wasn't all that keen to live with another human being. He only tolerated them since they paid a third of the rent. Not that he didn't like living with his mother, but he liked having some privacy. Plus, he saved a decent amount of money to start fresh again and was already planning on working in some places in Namimori.

He had the next chapter of his life already planned out: rent a new apartment, get a few jobs to keep him busy, and transition into a nice, welcoming retirement. Children and marriage were completely out of the equation. He just didn't want to depend on his mother for the rest of his life, no matter how appealing that sounded.

To his surprise, Nana smiled warmly and nodded. "Of course. A lot of young people have been moving out of town lately so there's some space here. Do you have a particular place in mind?"

Was she for real? She didn't even ask why. Yup, Tsuna was truly blessed with the best mother ever.

He couldn't help but grin. "Really? You don't mind?"

"I trust you, Tsu-kun, and I'll support any decision you make."

Tsuna's breath slightly hitched. "Thank you, Kaa-san."

"But you better visit at least twice a week for dinner. You have to call me every day or else I'll personally hunt you down and drag you back home."

Tsuna laughed weakly. On second thought, he didn't know if moving out was a good idea after all.

"I was thinking Midori since Kokuyo's too far. Commute would be easier too until I get a car."

"Oh, wonderful! I'll make sure you pick one close to Mama."

"Kaa-san!"

Nana just laughed, ruffling his messy hair. She smiled gently. "I'm glad you're home, Tsu-kun."

Tsuna returned the gesture, not even minding her touching his hair. "Me too."

If only he had some foresight then, he would've never left his mother's house to begin with.

Scratch that—he would've never returned to Namimori.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed this little intro! (Plot bunnies have been terrible to me this week…)**

 **I have a thing for making Tsuna older for some reason. Oh wells.**

 **To clarify on a couple of things: there will be mafia but no flames since I'm going for a more realistic take in this story. The Arcobaleno are all adults and there is no curse. Nana is not painfully oblivious. Iemitsu is still Tsuna's father, which will lead to some juicy family drama later. The odd jobs Tsuna took in Tokyo will become more relevant later on. The 10** **th** **generation will be younger than he is by a few years but will still retain their personalities for the most part—just with different circumstances and backgrounds. Haru is the only one from the canon cast that is the same age as Tsuna. No matter how light-hearted I originally wanted to make this story, I can't help but be a drama queen and add some more drama (who doesn't love drama though? Hehe).**

 **Please do leave a review or two on your thoughts! I'll try to answer any question you have as soon as I can.**

 **Thank you for reading this, peeps! I hope to see you in the next chapter.**

 **Have a lovely day~**

 **Little Miss Bunny**

 **Revised: 4/7/2018**


	2. Chapter 2

" _Fear makes strangers of people who would be friends."_ – Shirley MacLaine

* * *

It took a day to shift through available apartment leasing in Midori.

After Tsuna was satisfied with his choices, he set out to look at the rooms himself. His mother was kind enough to follow him. It wasn't like he never went apartment shopping before, but it sure as hell was stressful. He knew what he wanted, but tended to get too indecisive. That was where his mother came in. She was surprisingly efficient when it came to these things and had twenty more years on him anyway.

At least this time he didn't have to consider anyone else's preferences: water too cold, heat too strong, floor too squeaky, walls too white. He would've strangled his roommates in their sleep if they hadn't paid for the other third of the rent. Not to mention the girls they'd bring over every night. He would've strangled them too.

He took in a deep breath.

 _Happy thoughts, Tsuna,_ he thought. _Think happy thoughts. You're getting your own place, no one will bother you, praise Kami, and carry on._

"This is the last one, Tsu-kun," Nana said, pointing at a two-story apartment building. "Are you ready?"

Tsuna nodded, following his mother from behind.

Yeah, his own place.

* * *

"Oh, my goodness, you haven't changed at all, Tsuna-kun," Tanaka-san said, ushering them up the outside stairwell. "You look just as adorable as I remember. Oh, and Nana, you look like you still haven't aged a day. What products do you use? Your skin is just glowing!"

Maybe Tsuna should consider dyeing his hair purple and get some piercings. It looked cool on Skull, the famous Immortal Stuntman. Maybe he could pull it off, too. Okay, so he was a big fan. Skull was just great. Plus, Tsuna was planning on attending one of his shows next year in Tokyo. Who wouldn't want to go? He'd make sure that he was first in line.

Nana patted his back comfortingly. And what was with women calling him adorable anyways? He was 21 and a man, damn it! Yeah, he was short for a guy, but 167 cm wasn't _that_ bad…

"Thank you, Tanaka-san," Nana said. "I haven't touched a product in ages, but there are some natural remedies I can recommend."

"Yes, that would be wonderful!"

The room was located at the end of the second floor. At least there was a small balcony on the side overlooking the streets. Compared to the last apartments, this one was closer to Third Street where most of Namimori's stores and restaurants were located. Until Tsuna got his own car, he didn't mind walking. If it was for food, he'd do it.

"This room has been up for months," Tanaka-san said, unlocking the door. "I've had some potential buyers, but they all ended up going to the cities. Come in, come in."

Tsuna glanced at the room number, which read 227. His lips twitched into a small smile. If an apartment room had his lucky number, it went up higher on his list. They all took off their shoes at the entryway before entering. Tsuna instantly liked this apartment over the others. It was small but had enough space for one person. There was a bedroom, a living-dining room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. The balcony was definitely a nice addition.

"What do you think, Tsu-kun?" Nana said from the kitchen.

"I like it," he said, peeking inside the clean bathroom. "I wouldn't mind this one."

Nana grinned. "Me too. I think it's perfect."

That pretty much sold it. After signing the necessary paperwork and setting a moving date, Tsuna felt significantly better. Tanaka-san might be a nosy woman, but all he had to do was not cause any trouble and pay the rent on time. Easy.

"What do you think about going to TakeSushi, Tsu-kun?" Nana said.

Tsuna grinned. "Yes!"

If anything, one of the few things he actually missed in Namimori was Tsuyoshi-san's amazing sushi. It'd never compare to the ones in Tokyo.

* * *

TakeSushi was busy like Tsuna remembered. Customers constantly trickled in and out the door, the smell of fresh sushi faintly wafting in the air. Tsuna opened the door for his mother and held it for another couple walking out before following Nana inside.

"Nana!" Tsuyoshi said, grinning. "Come on in! I haven't seen you in a while. How are you?"

Tsuna sat next his mother at the bar counter and grinned at the other man. "Yamamoto-san!"

"Tsuna? I didn't know you were back. You look good! How's universitys? You'll be graduating soon, right?"

 _Wow, Yamamoto-san,_ Tsuna thought with a deadpan. _You were once a good man until today._

Even though Nana was okay with him dropping out of university, that didn't exactly make the guilt and shame disappear. Namimori was a small town, which made it too easy for gossip to spread. He didn't want his mother to become the subject of such scrutiny. He could clearly imagine them now, speaking in hushed tones behind their backs: Her son dropped out of a _Tokyo_ university? What did she do to ever deserve such a stupid son? How did she raise him? So on and so forth.

"We were just apartment shopping," Nana said, smiling easily. "Tsu-kun is planning on staying in Namimori for a while."

Tsuna sent her a grateful smile. She patted his arm reassuringly. No words could ever express his love for her. Nana was truly a saint.

"It's good to take a break sometimes," Tsuyoshi said, nodding. "I tell that to Takeshi all the time, but that boy just won't listen. You rest up well for your studies, Tsuna. It'll help."

"Of course," Tsuna said. "I got it _all_ under control."

"How is Takeshi?" Nana asked after giving their orders. "I heard he's doing wonderfully on the baseball team."

Tsuyoshi grinned. "Yup, Takeshi's doing great! Helped his team win their spring matches. Coach Ito called him a jack-of-all-trades. He might be captain next year if he keeps it up." His brows furrowed. "I can't help but worry though. He's motivated, that's for sure, but he's always pushing himself."

Nana frowned. "You should talk to him, Tsuyoshi."

The other man chuckled sheepishly. "I'm not good with those sorts of things, Nana. You know that."

"Oh, but it wouldn't hurt to try."

"He's grown up now. It's different."

"He's _growing_ , Tsuyoshi. There's a difference. He's still very young. Even if he pushes you away, you have to let him know that you'll be there for him. It will help—really."

Tsuyoshi sighed. "I know."

Nana smiled gently. "You'll get through it, Tsuyoshi. You and Takeshi both."

Tsuna listened to the conversation quietly, sipping some water. It wasn't any of his business but he couldn't ignore it either—well, they were _right there_. Not like he had any earplugs or anything. From the way it sounded, Takeshi could actually end up hurting himself. Tsuna witnessed too many people who did the same. Most of them ended up in rehab, but those were the luckier ones.

Those thoughts flew out the window once Tsuyoshi set his plate of sushi in front of him. Food first, thinking later.

* * *

Yawning, Tsuna stretched his arms above his head.

He inhaled the fresh evening air and exhaled loudly, smiling to himself. Evening walks were therapeutic, helping him think with a much clearer head. At least that was one good thing his counselor recommended.

The streets were empty and most stores were already closed. Streetlamps illuminated the road, reflecting off the surrounding buildings. Tsuna hummed a mindless tune under his breath. The evening was quiet aside from the cicadas and the plastic bag shifting in his hand. He had gone to the convenience store to buy some ice cream and snacks, a must-have for binge-watching TV shows.

A distant gasp suddenly pierced the quiet air from his left. Pausing, Tsuna strained his ears, picking up on faint, shallow breathing. _Holy fuck_ didn't even register in his brain until he immediately ran to the source. A body—no, _someone_ was lying behind the dumpster.

 _Thank Kami, he's still breathing,_ Tsuna thought, running towards the lying person.

"Hey, are you okay?"

It was a teen boy with silver hair and green eyes. Blood soaked through his black shirt, a few stab marks prominent on his stomach, and his pale face sported bruises.

"I'm going to call an ambulance, okay?" Tsuna said, immediately placing pressure on the boy's wounds. "We're gonna go to the hospital and get you patched up. Stay with me."

The boy blinked, trying to gain his bearings. Tsuna was sure he was seeing five different heads. He was still conscious, which was a good sign.

"Can you tell me your name?"

The boy gasped as he struggled to speak. "W—Who…"

Tsuna hushed him as he dialed the emergency call number. "It's okay. I'm here to help you. Don't worry. I got you."

"Fire or ambulance?" a woman said over the phone.

"Ambulance, please," Tsuna said, glancing at the building behind him. "I'm next to Watanabe's Cuisine near Third Street. I found a boy here. He's been beaten and stabbed, and he's bleeding a lot."

"Okay, sir. An ambulance is on its way to you now. If you can, place pressure on his wound to slow the bleeding."

"I got that covered."

"Good, you're doing great. What's your name, sir?"

"Sawada Tsunayoshi."

"Thank you, Sawada-san. Can you tell me anything else? Did you see what happened?"

"I found him like this. He's barely conscious. I think he's fourteen or fifteen."

"Okay. Please stay on the phone with me until the ambulance arrives, Sawada-san."

"Alright, thank you."

A hand weakly gripped his arm, staining his skin with blood. "I can't…"

Tsuna smiled comfortingly, nodding. "Hey, it's okay. Don't talk unless you have to. You're going to be okay."

" _Non posso moire_ ," the boy said frantically. " _Non posso_." [I can't die. I can't.]

Tsuna mentally patted himself on the back for learning Italian just for the heck of it. He had been wanting to go to Italy sometime in the future but—Okay, _focus._

"You won't," Tsuna said, switching to Italian effortlessly. The language was soft and rolled off his tongue in soothing waves. "It's going to be okay. You're doing great so far. I'm here for you. Is there anyone I should call?"

"B—Bianchi…Where…"

Tsuna nodded. "I'll call her. You'll be okay."

Gentle, soothing whispers and pained whimpering echoed in the space between them, until sirens soon broke through in the distance.

* * *

Tsuna stayed with the boy while he underwent surgery. A nurse guided him to the restroom to wash the blood off his hands. When he came back out, the sign for surgery was turned off.

A surgeon nodded towards Tsuna as he slipped off his surgical mask. "He'll be fine. The wounds didn't hit any major organs, but if he wasn't found any sooner, he would've been dead. He'll be conscious after a couple of hours and might be sore for a while. It's best that he recovers here for further examination."

Tsuna nodded. "Thank you, _sensei_. Can I see him?"

"You're the one who found him, right?"

"Yes."

The surgeon pursed his lips. "Well, no one other than family can visit. If anyone asks, say you're his cousin or something. I'll handle it if anyone gives you trouble."

Tsuna grinned. "Thank you."

When he found the boy's room, Tsuna winced. An IV line was hooked to the boy's arm and the heart monitor beeped steadily next to him. Tsuna never liked hospitals. It smelled terrible and all the accumulated stress and misery in one place didn't sit well with him.

He ran a hand through his hair. Shit, what even happened to the boy? Crimes were extremely rare in Japan, nonetheless in Namimori. And who the hell would beat and stab a teenage boy? Was he in the wrong crowd? Or was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time? Tsuna shook his head. He didn't want to assume anything. The boy was a victim first and foremost.

"Hayato!" a voice cried out behind him.

Tsuna nearly jumped when a pink-haired girl ran past him, nearly flinging herself across the bedridden boy. He hesitated for a second before gently shaking her trembling shoulder. "Excuse me, miss. You shouldn't do that. His stitches might reopen."

She snapped her gaze towards him, as if realizing he was there. Her wide green eyes then narrowed into vicious slits. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Tsuna barely had the time to react when she whipped out the most threatening shortcake he had ever seen. And were those _worms_? What the fuck?

"Wait, wait, wait!" he said, backing away from the fuming girl. "My name's Sawada Tsunayoshi! I was the one who called you!"

That made her pause, much to Tsuna's relief. She looked him up and down, her eyes startlingly sharp and wary for someone her age. Tsuna made a mental note to never piss her off in the unforeseeable future. She might be younger than he was, but if that abomination of a shortcake was any indication, he knew when to pick and choose his battles. This just wasn't worth it.

"Sawada?" she said, testing the name on her tongue.

Holy shit, that actually sounded _terrifying_.

"You must be Bianchi," Tsuna said, trying hard not to make his voice crack. "He asked me to call you before the ambulance came."

Bianchi eyed him warily. Tsuna had a feeling she was thinking about getting rid of his body in the most discreet way possible. Involving bleach and deadly purple shortcakes. With worms. Disgusting, wriggling, parasitic worms.

"I remember." Bianchi glared. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Tsuna said. "I found him like that when I was taking a walk. I was hoping to ask him what happened when he wakes up. The police will question him later."

Bianchi tensed. "No. I—We—" She pursed her lips. "No police."

She glanced at her brother, and Tsuna instantly picked up on what she was thinking.

"Don't you dare try to run off with him," he said. "I don't know what you guys are going through or what the hell's going on, but you can't take him. He needs the treatment or else he'll get worse."

Bianchi glared. "Don't talk like you know us. You don't know anything."

Tsuna sighed. "Look, save the teenage angst for later, but you can't take him."

Bianchi cocked a brow as if saying "try me". Tsuna narrowed his eyes, satisfied when she took a small step back.

"Don't."

A knock at the door made them tense. A nurse peeked inside. "Sawada-san, the police are here. They're asking for you."

Tsuna nodded. "Okay, thank you." He gave Bianchi a look, but she only watched him innocently. Damn. "I'll be back."

Bianchi smiled sweetly. "Okay. Thank you again for helping him. I can't tell you how grateful I am."

Wow, two could play at that game.

"Of course, _Bianchi_." Her name slid off his tongue so smoothly that it made the teen tense. Tsuna suppressed a snicker. "It was the least I could do. I'll be back in a few."

 _Don't you fucking dare leave this building or so help me Kami I will strangle you,_ was clearly indicated under his pleasant tone.

Bianchi just blinked at him with the same dumb smile on her face. She looked like the epitome of all things good and lovely. But Tsuna _knew_ —she was the fucking she-devil.

He followed the nurse outside near one of the benches. Two cops were waiting for him, dressed up in a somewhat casual getup. One of them looked a bit uncomfortable. If Tsuna wasn't any less the wiser, he would've assumed the man was constipated or something.

"You're the one who found the boy, right?" Aoki said, opening his notepad.

Tsuna nodded. "Yeah, I did."

"Name?"

"Sawada Tsunayoshi."

"What were you doing before you found him?" his partner, Uchida, said, crossing his arms across his broad chest.

Tsuna gestured at his bag. "I went to the convenience store to get some stuff. I was heading home when I found him next to Watanabe's Cuisine. I called the ambulance right after."

Aoki nodded, scribbling down some notes. "Did you see what happened? Any suspicious figures around the area?"

Tsuna shook his head. "No. He was bleeding pretty badly so I didn't have time to look around. It was pretty empty though. I don't think anyone was there."

Suddenly, his senses went haywire when the detectives' tense shoulders slightly sagged. Several thoughts raced in his mind, but he managed to filter through them. He'd have to observe them a bit more to gain any solid readings. They could just be overworked or have a terrible sleep schedule. The possibilities were endless but none of them seemed right.

Aoki nodded. "Alright then. Is the boy's sister here?"

How would they know he had a sister if they didn't even know his name? "There's no one here but me if that's what you mean. I didn't know he had a sister."

"Any word about his condition either?"

They were either the worst detectives in their division or not even trying. Tsuna didn't know which. Why didn't they talk to the surgeon in charge first? Had they talked to him before already? Was Tsuna just being too paranoid?

No. There was a catch here. He just didn't know what, and that aggravated him to no end.

Biting his lip, Tsuna looked down at his shoes. His voice was so deliciously sad that his drama professor would've wept if she heard it. "They don't think he'll make it."

One of them huffed lightly, which sounded eerily like a chuckle.

"It's alright, Sawada-san," Aoki said, patting his shoulder. "Call us if there's anything else you remember."

He handed him his card, nodded goodbye, and left with Uchida trailing a step behind him. Tsuna watched them turn the corner until they were gone. He didn't miss the faint smirks on their faces—they were definitely not a trick of the light. He glanced at the card in his hand: Aoki Kazuo. The credentials seemed legit but…

Sighing, Tsuna ran a hand through his hair. Was he being too paranoid? No, there was definitely something going on here. Those detectives were too blasé. Was it just their general attitude? Were they rookies or something? Tsuna shook his head. That was ridiculous and would be really incompetent on the police department's part. The Hibari family basically ruled it with an iron fist.

Too many questions, too little answers.

He pocketed the card and headed back to the boy's room. Hayato, was it? He didn't know him or Bianchi at all, but they were still kids. A bad feeling churned in his stomach, and it grew worse when he opened the door.

The room was empty with the window left open.

At this point, Tsuna wasn't even surprised anymore.

Fucking hell, Bianchi.

* * *

 **A/N Ahhh, I couldn't resist posting this up. I became fond of this story already, haha.**

 **Thank you all for the favorites and follows! Makes me a really happy camper, hehe.**

 **I was initially iffy on who to introduce first from canon. Originally, I wanted to go with Takeshi or Ryohei, but decided on Gokudera because…Gokudera. Ahaha. Great reasoning there, Bunny. So…yay, Gokudera and Bianchi! I'm sorry if they sounded OOC, but Gokudera was in pain and too out of it to even process what was going on and Bianchi was only trying to protect her little brother. You know, I thought she was older than she was because of the way she looked; then I checked to see that she was really 17 and felt dumb as usual. Oh wells.**

 **I did manage to sprinkle some familiar names here and there to hype it up though. Skull deserves more love because he's a precious cinnamon roll. Sue me. Some mentions about Takeshi and a little information on Kyoya's family. I hope I got that conversation between Tsuyoshi and Nana okay. I kept stressing over that more than the one with Tsuna and Bianchi, haha.**

 **I tried my best to keep the apartment setting and the emergency call realistic. I wasn't sure how Japan did it, but apparently there are different numbers for different things, and I saw a sample of how the operators communicated with the caller so went with that. If it was inaccurate, I'm so sorry.**

 **Please do let me know your thoughts so far (and what you think about those detectives, hehe). If there are any questions you have, I'll try to answer them as soon as I can.**

 **Thank you so much for reading! I hope to see you again in the next chapter.**

 **Have a lovely day~**

 **Little Miss Bunny**

 **Revised: 4/8/2018**


	3. Chapter 3

" _If we do not maintain justice, justice will not maintain us."_ – Francis Bacon

* * *

Tsuna couldn't sleep when he returned home. His mother was nearly hysterical when he walked in the kitchen to store his melted ice cream. After interrogating him for what seemed like hours, Nana slumped next to him on the couch until dawn rose. Their tea was cold. Silence hung over them as the morning light creeped through the windows.

Tsuna finally sighed, breaking the peace. "I don't know what to do, Kaa-san."

"I know," Nana said, resting her hand on his.

Tsuna scowled. "I told her not to take him, but she didn't listen. They might be dead in a ditch somewhere. I don't know why I care so much but I just can't stop thinking about them."

"Don't blame yourself, Tsu-kun. She made the decision to run away, not you. Yes, it wasn't a smart thing to do but she must have her reasons. I can only imagine what that poor girl is going through."

Tsuna rolled his eyes. "There's no excuse for kidnapping a recovering patient from a hospital. He was _stabbed_!" He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It's none of my business—I mean, I _found_ him bleeding on the streets. Do they at least have shelter? Money? Food? Where is their family? Do they even have one here— _anywhere_?"

His breath hitched when he felt the dull sensation of Nana's hand rubbing his back. She shushed him gently, sounding too far. "Tsu-kun, calm down. Take deep breaths. Breathe in and out just like that. I'm right here. Do you want me to get your medication?"

Counting to 100, Tsuna carefully took control of his erratic breaths. His heart gradually returned to its normal pace and the buzzing in his head slowly disappeared. He didn't even realize he was tightly holding onto Nana's hand until he looked down.

"Sorry," he said, his throat raspy. "No, I don't need it. Just—Yeah, I'm sorry."

Nana shook her head. "You don't need to be sorry, Tsu-kun. I'll make some more tea."

Tsuna nodded. "Thank you, Kaa-san."

She kissed his forehead. "Of course."

After Nana took their empty cups into the kitchen, Tsuna sagged and stared listlessly at the ceiling. Kami, he hadn't had a panic attack in _months_. His anxiety was much worse when he was in middle school, but it never really went away. He always ended up worrying about the littlest things so he tried to breeze through them in the most blasé manner possible. It somewhat worked, but his mind always managed to narrow in on the annoying questions in the back of his head.

Well, worrying about two crazy-ass kids running away from the hospital was anything _but_ little. A small tune suddenly echoed throughout the house. Tsuna stiffened. Someone was at the door. Nana paused in her stirring.

"Who would be here at this hour?" she said, her eyes wide.

"I'll get it," Tsuna said, heading towards the door.

Nana lingered behind him, her brows creased in worry. A million thoughts raced through Tsuna's head as he turned the doorknob. Who would be ringing their bell at six in the morning? Was it a neighbor? Was it Bianchi? Did she somehow found where he lived? Did she finally realize that what she did was wrong? Was Hayato with her? Was he okay? Was he _alive_?

Tsuna gritted his teeth. No matter, he was going to strangle the girl if he ever saw her again. He finally opened the door. Two men stood on the doorsteps, dressed in a somewhat formal attire. One of them had a ridiculous pompadour while the other chewed on a toothpick.

Tsuna blinked. "Hello…?"

"Ah, you must be Sawada Tsunayoshi," the man with the pompadour said. He took out a police ID. "I'm Kusakabe Shigeru. This is my partner, Mochida Yori. We're from the Namimori Police Department. We'd like to ask you some questions if you don't mind. May we come in?"

Tsuna glanced at his mother who looked just as confused as he was. When Nana nodded, he opened the door wider. "Okay."

"Thank you, Sawada-san. Please excuse us."

"Tsuna's fine."

"Would you like anything to drink?" Nana said as the men slipped off their shoes.

"No, thank you," Kusakabe said.

"Water's fine, thanks," Mochida said, looking around. "This is a pretty big house for two people. Is your husband here, Sawada-san?"

"Ah, no," Nana said, smiling a bit tightly. "He works overseas."

Mochida hummed. "What does he do again?"

He perused their family photos with indifferent eyes. Only one had Tsuna's father—a picture of him cooing over a baby Tsuna in Nana's arms. Tsuna had mixed feelings about that one.

"He works traffic at construction sites."

Kusakabe quickly sat Mochida down before he could say anything else. The other man nodded in thanks when Nana handed him a cup of water.

"What is this about?" Tsuna said, crossing his arms across his chest.

"We just wanted to ask you about the detectives you talked to yesterday," Kusakabe said.

Tsuna raised a brow. "The detectives? What about them?"

Kusakabe fished out some pictures from his suit jacket and showed them to him. "Were these the men you talked to last night?"

Tsuna studied the pictures carefully. They were profile photos of two men: one had neatly-trimmed black hair and the other wore a pair of glasses. A bad feeling churned in his stomach. "No…they weren't."

Kusakabe pursed his lips. "Are you sure?"

Tsuna nodded, feeling nauseous again. "Yes. Is there something wrong?"

"Did they tell you their names?"

Were they really not legitimate detectives…? Was Tsuna _right_? "They said they were Aoki Kazuo and Uchida Taro. One of them gave me his card."

Frowning, Kusakabe tucked the photos back in his jacket. "I see. Can you show me the card he gave you?"

Tsuna took it out of his pocket and handed it over.

"What's going on, Kusakabe-san?" Nana said. "Is something wrong?"

Mochida rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "We believe your son came into contact with criminals instead of detectives. The real Aoki Kazuo and Ucihda Taro were found dead behind the hospital this morning. We think they were killed by the men who talked to your son."

Nana gasped. Tsuna widened his eyes, his heart beating faster and faster again; the buzzing in his head grew while blood roared in his ears. Everything suddenly felt hot. The walls around him were closing in and—

"—nayoshi-san?"

Tsuna blinked but his vision was still hazy. Kusakabe was kneeling in front of him, gripping his shoulders. Nana held onto his hand and whispered comforting words in his ear. Blushing, Tsuna immediately stood up and stumbled before leaning on the sofa for support.

"Sorry," he said.

"Do you have panic attacks often?" Mochida said.

"No… I haven't had them in a while."

Nana frowned. "Are you _sure_ you don't want your medication, Tsu-kun?"

"I'm _okay_ , Kaa-san." Tsuna inhaled shakily. "Anyways, those detectives—they're dead?"

Kusakabe frowned but nodded nonetheless. "Yes. We wanted to ask if you remembered what they looked like."

"Does it have anything to do with the boy I found yesterday?"

"The missing patient?"

"They asked about him and his sister. Are they in trouble?"

"We don't know," Kusakabe said, "but we're not leaving anything out in the investigation."

"Although, kidnapping your own brother from the hospital _is_ questionable," Mochida muttered.

"Will my son be safe?" Nana said. "Those criminals saw his face…"

Kusakabe nodded. "Yes. We'll have some officers stationed around your home in case they try to approach Tsunayoshi-san again. It's unlikely since we believe that their main priority is those kids, but we won't take any chances. Don't worry, Sawada-san. You and your son will be in safe hands." He glanced at Tsuna. "In any case, we'd like for you to come down to the station with us for a composite sketch. Will that be okay with you, Tsunayoshi-san? I apologize if this is so sudden, but we'd like to catch them as soon as possible before anyone else gets hurt."

Tsuna nodded. "Yeah, I'll go."

"Thank you. It won't take long."

"Will my mom be safe here alone?"

"Our officers are all capable and highly-trained, Tsunayoshi-san. If it will make you feel any better, your mother can come with us."

Nana squeezed Tsuna's hand. "I'll be okay, Tsu-kun. You don't have to worry about me. I'll be right here when you come back."

Tsuna frowned. It didn't sit well with him that he'd have to leave his mother here alone, but he knew how formidable the Namimori police forces were. Anyways, it wouldn't take long for him to give the men's descriptions. He'd probably be in and out in a jiffy.

He finally relented. "Alright, let's get this over with."

Kusakabe smiled. "Thank you, Tsunayoshi-san."

* * *

None of the men talked during the car ride, much to Tsuna's relief. He didn't think he'd handle any of their questions at the moment.

The ride only lasted fifteen minutes before a tall, gray-blue building came into view. One of the largest buildings in Namimori, the police station had four stories and was located at the town's center, making it easily accessible to the surrounding districts. Officers and detectives rushed around the main room, talking on the phone and printing out dozens of papers. A large press crowd surrounded the front but no one really paid them any mind.

Kusakabe ushered Tsuna in through the underground parking lot, away from prying eyes. Mochida left them soon after when they reached the third floor.

"I'm sorry about your detectives," Tsuna said, speaking for the first time.

Kusakabe nodded. "Thank you. They were great men. Here, this way."

He led him to an empty meeting room and opened the door. The window blinds were closed shut and a long table was in the center with gray chairs. A pot of bamboo was placed in a corner. The air smelled faintly like sakura flowers.

A woman stood up from the table with a cheerful wave. She was embarrassingly taller than Tsuna by three inches despite wearing flats and had long black hair tied back into a ponytail. "Hey there! You must be the unlucky witness."

"This is Iwasaki Ayano," Kusakabe said. "She's one of our best forensic artists. Iwasaki-san, this is Sawada Tsunayoshi."

"It's nice to meet you, Iwasaki-san," Tsuna said, bowing slightly.

Ayano beamed. "Likewise. And call me Ayano. Let's get started! You can sit here. I'm just going to ask you a couple of questions and we'll go from there, okay, Tsu-chan?"

Tsuna flushed at the nickname. "Tsuna's fine, Iwa—Ayano-san."

Grinning, Ayano squeezed his cheek. "But you're so adorable! How old are you, Tsu-chan? You don't look older than sixteen! And wow, your skin is so soft. Touch it, Shigeru!"

Kusakabe swatted her hand away from Tsuna's face, much to his relief. "Focus, Iwasaki-san. We need these sketches as soon as possible."

Ayano pouted. "You're no fun."

Tsuna gave the man a grateful look. Kusakabe nodded before sitting beside him.

What Tsuna thought was going to be a thirty-minute session turned out to be two hours of endless questioning. He couldn't deny that Ayano knew what she was doing though. She asked simple questions first: eye color, hair style, face shape, chin, nose. Then she helped him with the more specific details: Were their noses big or small? Lumpy, smooth, straight? How far apart were their eyes? Did their eyebrows stretch this far and how thick were they? How high were their cheekbones? Were their ears small, big, covered by their hair, only one? Any earrings or jewelry? Tattoos? Did they have scars?

Ayano managed to take what little detail he could remember and ended up with the most accurate sketches he'd ever seen. After she got his approval, Kusakabe led them both outside.

"Thank you, Tsunayoshi-san," he said. "This will help us greatly. I do apologize that this took longer than you expected."

Tsuna shook his head. "It's okay. I'm glad I could help. I hope you can find them."

Kusakabe nodded. "We will." He handed Tsuna a card. "If you see anything suspicious, do not hesitate to reach out to me. The Namimori police and I will protect you."

Tsuna smiled. "Thank you, Kusakabe-san."

He tensed when Ayano slung a slender arm over his shoulders. Grinning, she waved her own card in front of his face. "Take my card too, Tsu-chan! If there's anything you need that's not related to murder or crime, call me!"

Kusakabe sighed. "Iwasaki-san, that is _not_ professional behavior. Put your card away and let go of him before I arrest you for harassment."

Ayano pouted. "Give me a break, Shigeru. I'm technically not working now so—"

The elevator dinged then, cutting her off. Tsuna blinked when Ayano immediately let him go and Kusakabe straightened himself. His eyes fell on the two occupants inside the elevator.

One of them was a tall, regally handsome man with neat black hair and blue-gray eyes. Wearing an impeccable black suit, he fixed his tie primly as the elevator opened. The other occupant was a teenager no older than sixteen and looked like a mini-version of the man; though his hair was a bit longer and he wore a school uniform with a black gakuran top over his shoulders. A red armband was pinned on his left sleeve.

Tsuna narrowed his eyes when noticed the teen's bleeding lips, but thought better of speaking out. The man simply screamed danger despite his calm appearance.

"Masato-sama," Kusakabe said, nodding towards the man. "Kyoya-san."

Even Ayano bowed her head, her back stiff. Masato glanced at them at the corner of his eye. "Shigeru, are you getting on or not?"

His voice was smooth, but there was a hard edge to it that made shivers crawl up Tsuna's spine. Everyone knew Hibari Masato, the Commissioner of the Namimori Police Department. Even during middle school, Tsuna knew that he wasn't someone to mess with.

"Yes, sir. My apologies."

Kusakabe ushered Tsuna and Ayano in the elevator and pressed the ground level button. No one spoke. Tsuna glanced at the taller teen and quickly turned away when their eyes briefly met. Ayano looked down at her feet, not speaking. Tsuna wished she'd talk if it meant that he wouldn't suffocate from the deafening silence. Maybe he should've taken his meds after all.

Kusakabe's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Tsunayoshi-san, would you like to have someone drive you home? I can arrange one of the officers to do it."

Before Tsuna could answer, Masato cut in, "Is this how you're using my men, Shigeru?"

Kusakabe tensed. "Masato-sama, this is Sawada Tsunayoshi. He was able to give us the criminals' description that we're currently tracking."

Masato glanced at Tsuna who made the mistake of looking back. Still, he managed to straighten himself and bow slightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Hibari-san. I'm very sorry for your loss. I hope you find them soon."

The other man stared at him intensely for a few seconds. Tsuna found him nearly impossible to read, but he managed to catch the small spark of interest in his eyes before it vanished. That usually spelled trouble for him…

"You have more manners than your father," was all Masato said when the elevator doors opened.

Tsuna gaped at the man's back while he walked out. "Wait—"

Kusakabe pulled him back before his hand got caught between the closing doors. "Tsunayoshi-san, please be more careful." He leaned down close to his ear and murmured, "Now is not the time."

Ayano released a deep breath and sagged against the elevator railings. "Kami, I thought that'd never end."

She tensed when she realized Kyoya was still there. He just stared straight ahead with his arms crossed over his chest. Tsuna was seriously tempted to get him some ointment or something because his lips looked painful. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. Seriously, _that_ was his concern now?

Tsuna frowned. Hibari-san clearly knew his father. Was there something going on between them? Masato didn't sound annoyed or anything, more like pointing out an observation. Tsuna mentally shook his head. He'd think about it later. Too many thoughts in his current condition would just induce more headaches that he didn't want.

"You need to get these sketches copied, Iwasaki-san," Kusakabe said. "Remember to go back _up_."

Ayano laughed sheepishly. "Yeah, my bad."

Kusakabe just shook his head. When the elevator reached the ground floor, Ayano cheerfully waved goodbye before the doors closed. Kyoya headed towards a motorcycle parked nearby. Tsuna grabbed his arm, ignoring the way Kyoya tensed and glared at him. Wow, since when were kids this terrifying? First Bianchi and now Kyoya.

"You should get that checked out before it gets infected," he said, gesturing at Kyoya's lips. "It looks like it might need stitches."

Snarling, Kyoya snatched his arm away. "Don't touch me, herbivore."

Tsuna blinked. "Was that supposed to be an insult or did you never pass the first grade?"

If looks could kill, he'd be dead by now. Thankfully, Kusakabe interfered before Kyoya could actually bash his skull in.

"Kyoya-san, please excuse him," he said, ushering Tsuna behind his broad back. "He's exhausted and not in the best state of mind."

Kyoya just glared, looking more like a deadly predator. Tsuna silently applauded Kusakabe for not cowing in front of him.

Finally, Kyoya stalked away, mounted his sleek motorcycle, and drove out of the parking lot in a blur. Tsuna would've thought it was cool if it weren't for the fact that you were supposed to be at least eighteen to drive one in Japan—at least, for a heavy one.

"Tsunayoshi-san, it's best that you don't interfere," Kusakabe said. "You could get hurt. It's best for you to ignore them."

"His father _hit_ him," Tsuna said, noting the way the other man tensed. So, he was right. That didn't make him feel any better. "I know it's none of my business, but I don't like being a bystander. I'm sorry if I overstepped myself. I can take the bus from here. My mother texted me a while ago and I have to stop by the grocery anyways." He bowed. "Thank you, Kusakabe-san. If there's anything else you need, well, stop by my home again. Preferably later than six in the morning. Or call the home phone. I'm sure you have it in your database somewhere."

Kusakabe smiled slightly. "Of course. I'll make note of that. Do you need me to walk with you to the bus stop?"

"I can walk there by myself. I'm not a kid. Besides, the stop is right in front of the station. I literally have the police behind my back."

Kusakabe nodded, an amused glint in his dark eyes. "Okay then. Take care, Tsunayoshi-san. Call me if you see anything suspicious."

Tsuna hesitated, thinking back to last night. Kusakabe was a nice man. It wouldn't hurt to tell him. "They asked me if the boy was okay. I told them that he wouldn't make it, and I didn't tell them that his sister was in the room."

Kusakabe raised a brow. "You lied to them?"

Tsuna shrugged. "They already gave off bad vibes. It was more like a gut feeling. I knew the kids were in trouble, I just didn't know why." He frowned. "I hope you find them too, Kusakabe-san. They're just kids."

Kusakabe nodded. "We will. Thank you for telling me. Is there anything else?"

"Do they have family here?"

Kusakabe frowned. "I'm sorry, but I can't divulge that information to you."

Tsuna nodded. "No, I understand. Thank you anyways. I'll be off now."

"Stay safe, Tsunayoshi-san."

With that, they parted ways. Tsuna ignored the shouting media behind him and Kusakabe's eyes on his back. He'd be lying if he wasn't reassured the man made sure he boarded the bus in one piece, even if it made him feel like a kid.

Texting his mother that he was heading to the grocery store, Tsuna relaxed when she responded with multiple hearts. Of course—only his mother would do that.

When the bus finally arrived, he quickly sat in the back. There were some people around, their eyes focused on the newspaper or their phones. A few teenagers were already talking about the murder. Seemed like the police were keeping Hayato and Bianchi out of the media loop.

Sagging in his seat, Tsuna looked out the window; the police building soon disappeared from view. He was tempted to close his eyes, but his mind forced him to stay alert.

He didn't know why.

* * *

After he gathered what his mother needed, Tsuna was half-tempted to petition the mayor to install some much-needed technology in the supermarkets. He was more accustomed to the technologically-advanced checkout stations in the Tokyo supermarkets: an electronic shopping basket scanning how many items you had, a self-checkout station bagging the items for you, and so on. Maybe it was him just being lazy—or the fact that he didn't want to talk to another human being, particularly someone who basically knew all the gossip in town.

"Tsunayoshi-kun!" Kojima-san said, smiling brightly. "I didn't know you were back in Namimori."

Tsuna smiled politely as he slid his items towards the thin woman. "I just came back a few days ago. You look lovely as usual, Kojima-san."

The woman blushed. "Oh, no. You're too kind, Tsunayoshi-kun. You look like you lost weight! Poor dear. Oh, but you'll fatten up eventually if you eat Nana's cooking. I've been trying to replicate one of her recipes for months but it never comes out the way I want it to. You're studying in Tokyo, right? Are you here on break?"

"Yes."

"What do you study? My niece is actually in Tokyo right now and she's studying _medicine_ of all things." Kojima scrunched her nose. "I don't know why she'd study something so difficult. I found many suitors for her who're all aspiring doctors, too, but she always rejects them. I don't know what to do with her."

Tsuna suppressed a sigh. Just two more, he thought, watching the woman bag his stuff. Just two more items and he'd be able to go home and sleep. He was going to fucking sleep today—after he ate his ice cream and watched one or two episodes of the new show everyone was talking about.

"Where did you say you were studying again?" Kojima-san said, taking his card.

Tsuna smiled slightly. "In Tokyo."

Kojima-san giggled behind her hand. "Oh, you know what I mean. It's so rare for us townsfolk to be able to go to a university in Tokyo. Maybe you know my niece. Does Nakamura Kairi sound familiar?"

"No," Tsuna said, taking his bags. "Thank you, Kojima-san, but my mother's waiting. Have a nice day."

"I'll find out soon, Tsunayoshi-kun!" the woman said as he walked out.

Tsuna just rolled his eyes, not even bothering to respond. Whoever her niece was, he hoped the poor girl became a hotshot doctor in the future and open her own hospital just to spite her aunt. That'd be great.

He grimaced when the summer heat hit him full force. It was only mid-August but it was still so goddamn hot. He opted to walk back home rather than wait for the bus. Five minutes wasn't worth baking in the sun. Besides, his house wasn't too far.

There were people already in the streets. Some street vendors yelled out their sales for the day while young students enjoyed the last few weeks of summer vacation. Even though Namimori was a small town, it was undeniably full of life. Tsuna smiled despite himself. Everyone knew everyone here so there was a warm, friendly atmosphere for the most part, compared to Tokyo's indifferent one.

Tsuna's thoughts on his mother's cooking flew out the window when a rough hand suddenly covered his mouth and pulled him into a narrow alleyway. He struggled against the larger man before he was shoved against the wall. Stars spun in his vision, blurring his assaulter.

"It's a pleasure to meet you again, Sawada-san," a voice said.

Tsuna froze when Aoki appeared behind his attacker—No, the _criminal_ he talked to yesterday. The man wore a casual suit, and the scar that stretched from his chin to his forehead looked more like old stitches under the light.

Aoki smiled pleasantly. "Ah, you remember us. Good." He stepped forward. "It seems we underestimated the police force here. Ferro, let him breathe a little. It won't do us any good if his throat is crushed."

Tsuna glanced at the man in front of him. His breath hitched. It was Uchida but not the detective Uchida. The man looked even more terrifying up close. One of his eyes was a freakishly unnatural blue color.

The man tightened his hold around Tsuna's throat, slowly cutting off his airway. "We should've just killed him, Rico."

Okay, either they're idiots for saying their names or they were already set on killing him anyways. All Tsuna knew was that these men wouldn't hesitate to slaughter him in cold blood.

"Where are they?" Rico said.

"Wh—What are you talking about?" Tsuna choked out.

"Don't play coy, Sawada-san," Rico said. "I'd hate to hurt that pretty face of yours. The children—where are they?"

"I…don't know."

Rico sighed. "I don't like repeating myself." He leaned over Ferro's much thinner shoulder, his amber eyes glinting madly. "Well?"

"I really don't know," Tsuna said, struggling to breathe. "I haven't…seen them since last night…at the hospital."

Maybe he should've accepted Kusakabe's offer before. If only he could reach for his phone or yell out for help. He glanced at the streets. They seemed so far away. His heart sank when he realized that they were empty. There were also no security cameras around. He was so fucked.

Rico pushed Ferro out of the way and gripped Tsuna's hair. He leaned in too close, his eyes unnervingly focused on Tsuna's face. "Hmm, you don't seem like you're lying, but you did lie to us at the hospital. What should I do with you? I've met too many minxes like you, Sawada-san."

Tsuna narrowed his eyes. "Why are you after those kids?"

He stiffened when he felt a blade lightly trace his neck.

"You didn't let me finish, Sawada-san." Rico grinned. "I eventually hunt them down anyway. I think I'll enjoy making you sc—"

A shriek suddenly tore through the air. Tsuna used Rico's momentary distraction to grab his knife-wielding hand and twist it away. He head-butted his nose, eliciting a sick crack, and kneed his crotch for good measure. He stumbled away before Rico could react, scrambling to his feet. His head throbbed but the adrenaline temporarily masked the pain.

He glanced at Ferro and froze. The man was half-melted, coated with some strange purple substance. Was that….a _strawberry fucking shortcake_?

Rico snarled, blood streaming down his mouth. "You—"

Another shortcake smashed against the back of head. Tsuna gaped as Rico's screams reduced into gurgles within seconds. He was literally _melting_. Tsuna could see the white of his skull and bones when his skin and flesh melted into the ground. Looking up, Tsuna widened his eyes.

"B—Bianchi?"

The girl wore a black hoodie and cap that covered her pink hair. A black mask covered her face, only revealing her narrow green eyes. She grabbed Tsuna's arm and roughly pulled him up.

"Follow me."

Tsuna glanced at the dead men before looking away. Fuck, he was going to be sick. The smell was terrible, making his eyes water. "You just—You just _killed_ them."

Her voice was too calm for someone who just fucking murdered two men. "That's what I do."

"What are you doing? Let go of me!"

Bianchi glared at him, her grip tightening on his arm. "Shut up, Sawada. I need your help."

"What the hell are you talking about? Are you fucking crazy? How do I know you're not going to kill _me_?"

"Because"—her voice slightly faltered—"you're the only one who can help."

"Bianchi—"

"It's Hayato. He got worse. I didn't know what to do."

Tsuna couldn't stop himself. He slapped Bianchi across the face. Silence rang in the air. Tsuna's hand felt numb. Bianchi stared at him, her body rigid and eyes wide.

"I told you to stay in the fucking hospital," Tsuna said lowly. "And look what fucking happened. Well, except _this_ "—he gestured at the dead men—"but that's beside the point."

Bianchi had some decency to look ashamed. Tsuna released a shaky breath, his heart beating too fast for him to comprehend. "Where—Where is he?" Bianchi blinked. Tsuna narrowed his eyes. "I'm going to forget the fact that you just killed them for two minutes. Yeah, they were sick criminals and—okay, you saved my life and everything. With shortcakes or whatever the hell they are. Thanks but still."

Bianchi stared at him as if he grew five heads. Tsuna mentally sighed. He was rambling.

"You have two minutes to take me to your brother or else I'm going to remember that you just killed two men and call the police."

Bianchi finally snapped out of her stupor and immediately steered him away from the melting corpses. Tsuna didn't know what the hell he was doing. This was basically against all logic and reason.

Tsuna rarely thought reasonably to begin with, but this was just way out of his league.

* * *

Bianchi led him to an abandoned building in Kokuyo of all places.

Tsuna glanced at the dirty stairs warily before Bianchi pulled him none-too-gently to keep up. He coughed when a strange smell permeated from the hallways. It was also hot and humid, which just irritated Tsuna more. If Bianchi had just _listened_ to him, they wouldn't be here. If Bianchi had a brain, she wouldn't choose _this_ as their hideout.

When they finally reached her room, Bianchi unlocked the door and pushed Tsuna inside. The room was small. Tsuna wrinkled his nose at the smell of dust and mold. Some cobwebs were visible on the ceilings.

"Please tell me Hayato isn't here," Tsuna said, kicking a can of beer out of the way.

Bianchi's voice was quiet even with her mask on. "He's in the bedroom."

Tsuna quickly headed there, blanching at the sight. Hayato laid on an old mattress, his face flushed from a fever. Some new bandages wrapped around his stomach. A few bottles of pain medication were on the floor by his side. That didn't bother Tsuna as much as the old bandages stained with some blood and pus.

"Bianchi," he said blankly, "remind me to strangle you later."

The girl was smart enough to stay quiet. Tsuna knelt down by Hayato's side and pulled back the worn blankets to see his wounds better.

"What are you doing?" Bianchi said, grabbing his shoulder.

Tsuna glared, making her flinch. "I'm checking if Hayato isn't dead yet. How long did he have the fever?"

"A—A few hours ago. I managed to reduce it a little but it won't go away."

"I'm going to check his stitches. Don't move or say another word. I don't want to hear anything from you."

Tsuna carefully unwrapped Hayato's bandages just enough to assess his wounds. He wrinkled his nose. The stitches were red, swelling, and oozed pus. He grabbed a tissue and lightly dabbed them. Hayato whimpered a little but didn't wake. Tsuna gently hushed him.

"I'm taking him to the hospital."

"No, you can't!" Bianchi said. "The police—"

Tsuna leveled her gaze coldly. "I can and I will. I don't know what your issue with the police is but your brother's _dying_. You already fucked up once, Bianchi. I'm not making you fuck up twice. We're going to the hospital. _Now_."

Re-bandaging Hayato's wounds, Tsuna covered him with the blanket. He dialed his phone and gave the operator their location. After digging out Kusakabe's card, he regarded Bianchi with cold eyes. "I'm going to call someone from the police. We can trust him. Hayato's our top priority right now so we'll deal with the problems later. You knew those men, right?"

Bianchi nodded.

"And you know why they were after you?"

She nodded again.

"Okay, that might go in your favor when you're in court."

Bianchi widened her eyes. " _Court_? Why do I have to go to court?"

Tsuna deadpanned. "You killed two men, Bianchi. Granted you saved my life, it's still an offense. I'm sure the police found their bodies at this point. Don't take it the wrong way. I'm… grateful you came in time, but I'm trying to keep things realistic here."

"I won't go to prison."

"You can't bend the law to your will."

Bianchi narrowed her eyes. "I studied some things about Japan. The worst I'll get is probation if I play my cards right."

"You're also a foreigner with no family here if I'm guessing correctly. I don't know what your problem is, but you're not only in Japan—you're in Namimori."

"What difference does that make?"

"Things run differently here."

"I'm not afraid."

"You should be."

Tsuna dialed Kusakabe's number. The first ring barely passed before the detective picked up.

"Kusakabe-san, I need your help."

"Tsunayoshi-san! Are you okay? Where are you? We found the criminals dead a few minutes ago. Some witnesses said you were shopping nearby. What happened?"

Tsuna sighed. "It's…complicated, Kusakabe-san. I'm heading to the hospital. Don't worry! I'm not hurt or anything. I found the kids and one of them needs treatment. Can you meet me there?"

"Yes. Tell me the address when you get there. I'm glad you're alright. I believe you should also call your mother."

"Yeah, thank you. Can we also keep this under the radar? They're not fond of the police and well, I don't want them to feel overwhelmed."

Kusakabe's voice softened. "I'll only bring Yori with me."

"Thank you."

"I'll see you soon. Be careful."

After Tsuna hung up, he looked at Bianchi with hard eyes. "You're going to listen to me until this whole thing's sorted out, got it? If you try to do things on your own, so help me God, I swear I'm going to burn you alive. If Hayato ends up dying again, it's on _you_. Remember that. Do you understand?"

Bianchi didn't say a word, looking anywhere but him. Tsuna dialed his mother's number as the sirens grew louder in the distance.

Yeah, this was definitely way beyond his league.

* * *

 **A/N This chapter came out longer than expected, ahaha. It was supposed to end after Bianchi meets Tsuna again but oh wells.**

 **Thank you for the reviews and favorites! Some of them made me laugh and I hope I didn't disappoint with what I came up with. You peeps are just great, haha.**

 **Seems like Tsuna can never catch a break either, ahaha. We have another canon character introduced and it's none other than our devoted prefect, Kyoya! His appearance is pretty brief but hype, yay! I'll try to keep the OC's down to a minimum in this story but I can't promise anything, welp. They'll probably be people related to the canon characters, like Hibari's father and Haru's mother. I'm sorry if the Kusakabe name confused you. I'll be referring to the older one as Kusakabe and his son as Tetsuya to clear up any confusion (same with Kyoya and his father).**

 **Also, the technologically-advanced supermarket stuff in Japan looks really cool. I saw a video of it on Youtube and just couldn't resist putting it in, haha. I've never been to Japan so I hope I'm at least doing alright with the setting (though I wish to go someday). I'm wondering if anyone can guess what Tsuna studied while he was in university. It might be too obvious but I'm curious with what you peeps think (a helpful hint: not medicine, ahaha).**

 **Please do let me know your thoughts so far! I love reading your reviews and they always make my day! If there are any questions you have, I'll try to answer them as soon as I can.**

 **Thank you so much for reading! I hope to see you again in the next chapter.**

 **Have a lovely day and a Happy Thanksgiving~**

 **Little Miss Bunny**

 **Revised: 4/13/2018**


	4. Chapter 4

" _We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us."_ – Joseph Campbell

* * *

Unsurprisingly, his mother was the first one to arrive at the hospital.

Tsuna had restrained Bianchi twice to keep her from barging inside the operating room and making things worse. Now she sat beside him with slumped shoulders and her head bowed. He would've pitied her a little more if she hadn't done something so dumb in the first place.

They hadn't talked since Hayato was rolled into the operating room. Apparently the infection was bad enough that the surgeon had to do a procedure. Tsuna rubbed his neck tenderly and winced. It was definitely bruised.

Bianchi was just a kid, he tried to reason. A terrified kid who hated the police and was probably involved in some really shady shit.

He stiffened when he remembered the criminals' melted corpses, the white of their bones protruding through their raw, burnt skin. Fuck, he was pretty sure he saw their intestines, too. Their screams then rebounded in his ears—they sounded so goddamn close he shuddered.

Why was it so hard to breathe? His lungs—there was no air. His hands became clammy and his heart raced against his chest, beating hard and fast. Too fast. Shit, he was _dying_.

"—kun? Tsu-kun? Breathe with me! There, there. You're doing good, Tsu-kun. Shh."

It took Tsuna a while to regain his bearings and realize that his mother held him close, cradling his head in her arms. He sucked in a deep breath, inhaling her comforting scent, and exhaled slowly before feeling less dizzy.

Tsuna barely reacted when Nana handed him a cup of water and his medication.

"Tsu-kun," Nana said, "I think you should take them. This is the third time already…"

"'kay," he said, his voice hoarse.

He ignored Bianchi's wide-eyed stare as he downed the pills and water. His mouth felt awfully dry and the cool liquid managed to assuage the scratchiness in his throat. Temporary—it was all temporary but he'd take it over anything.

Nana rubbed his back. "There, feeling better? Would you like some more water?"

Tsuna shook his head, slightly wincing at the pain in his neck. "I'm fine."

Nana immediately tilted his chin up and widened her eyes. "Tsu-kun, what happened to your neck?"

Her voice was too loud. Sighing, Tsuna rubbed his face. "Well, funny story. I kind of got…caught by the criminals on my way home. Not my best moment. And I lost the groceries."

Nana frowned. "Tsu-kun, I don't care about the groceries. Your neck—"

"It's okay! The police are handling it now. It's fine."

"Why aren't you being treated?"

"Um, well, I guess I kind of forgot." Tsuna glanced at Bianchi who regarded them with wary eyes. "Kaa-san, this is Bianchi. She's the one who…saved me."

Nana gave him a quick look that said, "you better tell me everything later, young man", before smiling at Bianchi. "Thank you for saving my son. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to him."

Tsuna stifled a laugh when Bianchi fumbled with her words.

"N—No, there's no need to thank me," she said. "I—He saved my brother." Her brows creased a little. "I'm…grateful for that."

Surprisingly, she sounded sincerer if her small grimace was any indication. Tsuna smiled slightly.

"He'll be fine," he said. "Don't worry. Just don't go running off like last time."

Nana raised a brow. "So, you're the young lady that got my son all worked up this morning."

Bianchi could only gape while Nana gave her a long lecture on responsibility, family, and just about everything that Tsuna thought of her spiel the other night. Still, his mother could get _really_ wordy and he was sure the whole thing was traumatic for both of them. Tsuna tugged Nana's cardigan.

"Kaa-san, I told her the same thing," he said. "Take it easy on her, okay? Her brother's in surgery."

"Oh, my goodness!" Nana looked at Bianchi sympathetically. "I'm so sorry, dear. I didn't know. Tsu-kun, please tell me, what exactly happened?"

Kusakabe then picked the best time to intervene.

"Tsunayoshi-san," he said, nodding in greeting. Mochida trailed behind him, looking bored as usual. "Sawada-san."

Tsuna suppressed a sigh of relief. Not that he didn't want to tell his mother what happened—there were no secrets between them, not like his father anyways. She'd probably revive the criminals somehow to kill them herself, which was a disturbing thought, but hell hath no fury like a Nana scorned. Plus, she'd probably keep him locked up in the house until he died.

Standing, Tsuna greeted the detectives with a small nod. "Kusakabe-san, Mochida-san. Thank you for coming."

Kusakabe's eyes flickered to his neck. "Are you alright?"

Tsuna smiled. "Well, I'm alive and still functioning, so that's good, right?" He gestured at Bianchi who, thankfully, didn't run away but looked like she wanted to. "This is Bianchi. She—"

"Where's your brother?" Mochida said.

Bianchi narrowed her eyes into dangerous slits. "You—"

"He's in surgery," Tsuna said quickly, sending her a warning look. "He's in pretty bad shape."

Mochida raised a brow but didn't say anything.

"We'll need to take this to the station, Tsunayoshi-san," Kusakabe said. "It'll be more secure there."

"What happened to the men, Kusakabe-san?" Nana said quietly.

"Everything's alright, Sawada-san. We just need Tsunayoshi and Bianchi to tell us what happened."

Nana pursed her lips. "How do I know if it will be safe? My son was just _attacked_ by those criminals. Look at his neck!"

"I understand your frustrations, but please trust us. There is no threat to Tsunayoshi's life. We assure you that everything's been taken care of."

"Kaa-san," Tsuna said, "it's _okay_. He's right."

Nana furrowed her brows. "Tsu-kun…" She then sighed, appearing much older than she seemed. Tsuna reached out to hug her and smiled when she relaxed in his arms. "Come back as soon as you're done."

"Roger that."

She glared at the detective, making them tense. "My son and Bianchi better be taken care of."

"Wouldn't have it any other way, Sawada-san," Mochida said.

* * *

The police station was still as hectic as ever as the media continued to hound them for information.

The detectives led the two through the underground parking lot again. Bianchi didn't say a single word throughout the whole ride there. Tsuna gave up trying to reassure her that everything would be okay. All she did was glare at him.

When they were ushered inside the building, Tsuna was grateful he took his medication though his mind was just a tad sluggish. If only perfect medication existed. Passing the main floor, Tsuna perked up when he heard some bits of conversation from the detectives talking on the phone.

"—another one? Don't—"

"Ma'am, please calm down and—"

"—missing some organs again—"

"—fifth time this—"

He couldn't hear much else since Kusakabe and Mochida forced them to keep up. His mind reeled though as he tried to decipher what he heard. Missing organs? Fifth time? Why didn't he hear about this? He mentally rolled his eyes. Of course—the Namimori Police Department rarely gave any information to the public and it was nearly impossible to get any of the detectives and officers to talk since they were so loyal to Masato. Namimori trusted them too much. It was going to bite them in the ass later. Tsuna was sure of that.

The elevator finally stopped, jolting Tsuna out of his thoughts. It opened, revealing an empty, long hallway.

"We have to separate you," Kusakabe said.

Bianchi's face was a blank slate, making Tsuna shiver. She looked more like the killer she was before than a normal teenage girl. He couldn't help but wonder what made her this way.

"We're going this way," Mochida said, grabbing Bianchi's arm.

She immediately jerked away from his grip. "Don't touch me!"

"Calm down or I'll cuff you."

"Shigeru," Kusakabe said, "I'll take her."

"You won't take me anywhere!" Bianchi said.

"Kusakabe-san," Tsuna said, stepping forward, "let me talk to her. It won't take long."

Kusakabe hesitated before nodding. "We won't be too far then."

"Thank you."

After the detectives left, Tsuna sighed. The silence was almost deafening if not for the media's distant chatter outside. Bianchi glared at him, but her hands were trembling.

"Bianchi, look, I know this is hard for you, but you have to cooperate. Things will get worse if you don't."

"You don't understand anything!" she said. "Don't act like you do!"

Tsuna narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, I _don't_ understand. I don't know what kind of mess you're in or why any of this is happening. I really don't, but what I _do_ get is that you're terrified." Taking in a deep breath, he lowered his voice. "Bianchi, I'm probably your best bet getting out of here unharmed and not in cuffs for real. Do you really want that? Think. I know you're a smart kid. What will Hayato do if you end up in jail?"

Bianchi stiffened. She swallowed, her eyes losing their heat. "Hayato… He needs me."

"I know. So think about it. You're going to have to cooperate or you'll never see him again."

Bianchi scowled. "I won't go to prison."

"You will if you fuck this up again. Listen to yourself. You think you can get away with what you did, but you're wrong. Everything's different here. You have to follow our rules. If you don't want to see Hayato again, then go ahead—stay quiet, scratch their eyes out, I don't care. There's nothing I can do for you if you're unwilling to cooperate."

Bianchi flinched. She averted her gaze to the floor, her arms falling down to her sides. "I—We… There's no one here for us." She slid to the ground and covered her pale face with her hands. "I—I don't know what to _do._ I fucked up again—every time. Hayato… Oh, God."

Tsuna crouched down to her level. "Bianchi, I'm here to help you. You're not alone in this. You just have to trust me."

Bianchi looked at him wearily; the bags underneath her eyes were much more prominent up-close and the world seemed to weigh more heavily on her thin shoulders. She looked so much like a child that it made Tsuna's heart ache.

Her voice was quiet when she spoke. "Why are you helping me?"

"I don't know. I mean, you did save my life back there. That has to count for something, right? A life for a life if that's how you want to look at it." Tsuna smiled. "Honestly, it's probably my heart of gold making me ride the waves. How could I leave a pretty young lady like you all alone to a pack of wolves?"

Blushing, Bianchi looked away with a huff. "I can protect myself."

Tsuna grimaced. "Yeah, but you don't have to do it alone this time. You're probably tired of doing everything on your own. I can tell you care about Hayato. There's no one else who'd do the same for you, right? I can help you, Bianchi. You just have to trust me."

"How do I know you won't…"

Her voice drifted off, leaving the question hanging in the air. Tsuna understood—it was like looking at a mirror of his younger self. He had eventually learned that it was _okay_ to ask for help. There was no shame in shouldering the burdens with someone else. It was just a matter of if anyone was willing to help at all. Right now, Bianchi had no one.

"I saved your brother twice. Besides, you came to me, right? I think you know that you can trust me, even if you don't want to admit it. Who wouldn't trust me? I'm the most honest guy around here."

Bianchi snorted. "And yet you bring me to the police."

There was less heat in her words, which Tsuna took as a good sign. "Hey, it's better to get this done and over with now than later when everything goes to shit. And this is a pretty shitty situation." Tsuna huffed. "If only you listened to me in the first place, we probably wouldn't be here."

Bianchi rolled her eyes, but her lips slightly twitched. "Yes, Mother. I understand."

"Hey, hey, hey, I take offense to that."

"I promise to be good now, Mother. Don't worry."

"I'd strangle you but then I'd get arrested."

A playful gleam twinkled in Bianchi's eyes. "I thought you'd want to accompany your dear sweet child in prison."

Tsuna narrowed his eyes. "Oh, so you do want to go to prison now, huh?"

Bianchi tensed, and just like that, her walls assembled again. "No."

Tsuna sighed before ruffling her hair. He ignored her indignant squawk and stood up, flexing his numb legs. "Thought so. Just tell them everything they need, okay? Honestly, that's all you can do now. It'll be easier that way. I'll vouch for you since you technically saved my life anyways. I don't know how much it'll help but the fact that I'm not dead should be good, right?"

Bianchi looked away, hunching even more. A small tremor ran through her body and Tsuna suddenly wondered if she was cold underneath her hoodie. "There are…some things I can't say."

Tsuna quirked a brow. "What do you mean? Does it have to do with your family?"

"Tsunayoshi-san."

Both of them tensed when Kusakabe and Mochida walked towards them. Kusakabe had the decency to look apologetic.

"I apologize but we have to talk now," he said. "Time is of the essence."

Tsuna nodded. "Yeah, sorry about that."

He reached out to Bianchi. Surprisingly, she took his hand and hoisted herself up quickly. The cold mask had already returned to her face.

"Follow me, miss," Kusakabe said.

Bianchi glanced at Tsuna who gave her a quick smile.

"It's going to be okay," he said. "Trust me."

"Okay…"

It was said so quietly that Tsuna thought he missed it when Bianchi was led into a room by Kusakabe. Still, he managed to hear it and it made him feel a bit more at ease.

"Our room's this way," Mochida said, gesturing at the opposite direction.

Squaring his shoulders, Tsuna followed him inside and braced himself.

* * *

"So, Bianchi came and melted the men with shortcakes," Mochida said, leaning back in his chair.

"I know it sounds ridiculous but—"

"No, keep going."

Tsuna blinked. "Wait, this isn't…weird or anything to you? I said shortcakes—worm-infested shortcakes—not a gallon of acid or something."

Mochida shrugged. "I've seen weirder. So, what happened after?"

Tsuna stared at him. Mochida was a bit too…lax for Tsuna's taste but her could tell he wasn't lying, which was a little alarming in itself. Like, hello? Worm-infested, purple shortcakes melting people to the fucking _bone_? Wasn't that in the "definitely strange" category? Mocihda didn't even flinch at anything Tsuna told him. If this was normal to him, then Tsuna didn't want to know what crazy was.

"I'm starting to question everything I know again," Tsuna said dryly.

Mochida chuckled. "Join the club. So, what happened?"

Tsuna sighed. "She asked me for help and led me to her brother, who wasn't in the best condition. His stitches were infected and he had a bad fever. I called for the ambulance and Kusakabe-san after that. Oh, and my mom, but you already know that."

"Where were they?"

"An abandoned apartment in Kokuyo."

"Do you remember the address?"

"Yes."

Mochida tossed his small notepad across the table. "Write it down."

After Tsuna wrote it down, he couldn't help but ask, "Will she be in trouble?"

Mochida skimmed the address before pocketing the notepad in his breast pocket. "Depends."

Tsuna pursed his lips. "Depends on what? Bianchi saved my life."

"She also killed two men. Murder is still murder." Mochida rolled his toothpick to the other side of his mouth. "I'm sure you know that."

"I do, but she and Hayato are most likely caught up in something bad. I don't know what, but I have a bad feeling about it. Is there any way you can tell me what's going on?"

"That's for them to tell you or not. It's not in our place to give you any information. We got it all covered. There's nothing to worry about." Mochida stood up. "Thanks for the info. We appreciate it."

Tsuna blinked. "That's it?"

"That's it."

"Then what'll happen to Bianchi and Hayato?"

"You don't have to worry about them."

"Will Bianchi be arrested?"

Mochida shrugged, which irked Tsuna to no end. Damn it, there were just too many questions that bugged him to leave this alone.

"Depends."

"Depends on what?"

"It depends on Hibari-sama. Come on. I promised your mother you'd get back to her in one piece, right?"

Tsuna reluctantly followed him outside, his thoughts jumbled in his head. Shit, he forgot how the medication could inhibit his mental capacity sometimes. He ran a hand through his hair when a flash of black caught the corner of his eye.

He froze when Kusakabe led Bianchi out of their room in handcuffs. Her eyes widened when she saw him, her face too pale.

"What—"

Icy dread coiled in Tsuna's stomach when Masato walked out behind them. The man's face was an impeccable blank mask that unnerved Tsuna more than it should. When Masato nodded imperceptibly towards Kusakabe, the other led Bianchi away.

"Wait!" Tsuna said, noticing Bianchi jerk back to look at him.

There was a flash of hope in her eyes that vanished quickly when Kusakabe tugged her away gently.

Mochida gripped Tsuna's shoulder. "It's best not to get involved, Sawada. Come on, I'll drive you back to the hospital."

"Where are you taking her?" Tsuna said, ignoring him. "What's her sentence?"

"Shigeru, I expect them by early evening," Masato said promptly, not even looking at him.

"Of course, Masato-sama."

Tsuna licked his chapped lips nervously as Bianchi and Kusakabe turned the corner. Kami, whatever they told Bianchi, it looked like worse than imprisonment. Shit, if he actually _knew_ what was going on, maybe he could _do_ something; however, he held no cards. He shrugged off Mochida's grip and stepped in front of Masato before the Commissioner could leave.

"Hibari-san," he said, "may I speak with you?"

Masato studied him for a few seconds before brushing past him. "No."

The words came out before Tsuna had a chance to think. "I know you hit your son."

"Oi, Sawada," Mochida said.

Masato paused in his step. "And what will you do with that information?"

He asked it with such genuine curiosity that Tsuna couldn't help but gape. He had to remind himself that Masato was not a conventional man to begin with and that not all parents were exactly saints, but he just couldn't wrap his head around it.

"I just want to talk to you for only few minutes, Hibari-san. Nothing else."

The silence that hung between them was deafening until Masato said, "Ten minutes."

He glanced at Mochida, who immediately opened the door to Bianchi's previous room. When the door clicked shut behind him, Tsuna wondered what the hell he was getting himself into.

Masato wasted no time in making himself comfortable at the table, his body lax and legs crossed. His eyes were still an impenetrable wall of steel and left nothing for Tsuna to grapple with, which only stressed him out even more. Interrogation had been one of his more interesting courses back at university, and though it was mentally taxing to pick out every micro expression or flaw from the other person, it was still a great thrill.

Now he was pretty sure Masato was nothing but a tall, looming wall.

Wonderful.

"What will happen to Bianchi?" Tsuna said, not even bothering to sit down.

Masato didn't flinch at the impolite tone, tilting his head slightly. "She will face twenty years in prison."

Tsuna narrowed his eyes. "She's a minor."

"Murder, trespassing, forgery—There are countless other offenses she committed. I won't trouble you with the details."

Tsuna pursed his lips. Something wasn't right. Masato was lying. Why?

"I know that she killed those men but it was out of self-defense—they were going to kill me."

Masato didn't break eye-contact. "You're smarter than that, Tsunayoshi-kun. Please do not relegate yourself even further with such foolish reasoning."

Tsuna clenched his jaw. "Relegate myself?" He restrained a sigh. They were getting off-topic. "This isn't about me, this is about Bianchi."

"I'm not obligated to tell you what we will do," Masato said. "Your role in this case is only minor. There is no use for you anymore."

"I just want to make sure that she won't be manipulated in whatever game you're playing at here."

Masato raised a brow. "You think I'm playing a game?"

"There are a lot of things going on I don't understand, Hibari-san. And I know that it's rude to pry, but Bianchi saved my life and I promised that I'd help her. I get that it's not my place to question your ideologies; however, Bianchi trusts me and I…I'd be a terrible person if I break that trust."

Masato's lips slightly twitched when he leaned his chin on a gloved hand. "You are a much more honorable man than your father, but all the more foolish."

Tsuna narrowed his eyes. "What's your relationship with my father?"

"I see no point in continuing this conversation."

Masato stood up.

"Wait!" Tsuna pointed at the clock. "We still have six minutes left!"

"And what else are you going to say, Tsunayoshi-kun? Again, I see no point in this conversation if you're only going to tell me about promises that shouldn't have been made in the first place." Masato strode forward, making Tsuna step back. "Things would be much different if you were like your father."

Tsuna gritted his teeth. "I'm sorry to disappoint but I'm _not_ my father, Hibari-san, nor do I wish to be. Also, he's completely irrelevant. I don't understand why you keep bringing him up."

"I suppose so," Masato said, his gaze unwavering. "However, I beg to differ. If you were anything like him, you would have the power to help the children." He levelled Tsuna's gaze. "I will remind you that you're disposable, Tsunayoshi-kun. You have no worth or value in this playing field. I suggest that you don't get yourself involved any further than you should."

Tsuna's hands clenched into fists. Disposable? Playing field? No worth? Was this bastard telling him to kindly fuck off? What was he, some kind of _pawn_? Hell no. He refused to be treated this way.

Tsuna was already in deep—he knew that the moment he was targeted by those criminals and survived—but he would hate himself if he couldn't do anything for Bianchi or Hayato. They were only kids and he'd never turn his back on anyone who asked for his help.

Bianchi trusted him—she _willingly_ gave him her trust—and if Tsuna was going to break that because some pitiful excuse of a human being told him to back off, he'd jump off a cliff. If he wanted anything out of Masato, he'd have to play along in his game.

"What if I make myself indispensable?" he said slowly, internally grimacing at the word.

"Hm?"

"You know more than I do. Don't you think that it's unfair that you have all the cards and I don't?"

Masato's lips curled into a slight smile. "I never said I played fair, Tsunayoshi-kun."

"I know I can be of value to you, Hibari-san."

"And how will a college dropout benefit us in any way? I am more than aware of your circumstances, Tsunayoshi-kun. You were a bright student, but that doesn't mean anything to me. You were snipped at the bud too early and I'm not interested in cultivating a useless stem."

Tsuna's hand twitched. He wanted to strangle someone, preferably the man in front of him. "While I'm flattered that you know so much about me, that doesn't mean you actually _know_ me, Hibari-san. I'm going out on a limb here, but you look like you're having some other trouble. There's something else going on in Namimori, isn't there?"

"I don't have the slightest idea as to w—"

"Bodies with missing organs?" Tsuna almost smirked when Masato's brows slightly furrowed. He seemed more annoyed that Tsuna interrupted him than at the information he brought up. "Are they somehow connected to the criminals that tried to kill me?"

That was a big leap of reasoning, even for him. He had no clue if they were connected at all, but he was a little desperate at this point. Even if they weren't, he caught the man's attention, which was enough.

"I advise that you watch what you say, Tsunayoshi-kun," Masato said.

"You didn't confirm nor deny my claim, Hibari-san."

"That's because there is nothing to confirm or deny. You're trekking in murky waters and I suggest you stop before you go any deeper."

Tsuna narrowed his eyes. "I won't. You know I won't. I'm already in knees-deep."

"You're giving a lot more than you should over some children you just met."

"Bianchi trusts me with her life and her brother's. That's enough for me. You were also lying when you said Bianchi was going to get twenty years. What are you planning to do to her?"

Masato smiled and it wasn't friendly. There was an almost predatory look in his eyes that unsettled Tsuna. He stepped back again. Maybe he shouldn't have messed with a predator.

"You're much smarter than I gave you credit for, Tsunayoshi-kun."

Tsuna blinked. Did Masato just admit that he lied?

"I suppose you're the better alternative to your father." Masato loomed over him, his taller height intimidating. The man's eyes were more gray up-close. "If you have the chance to prove your worth, I may have an offer for you. However, it's up to you whether or not you'll take it."

Masato was good at telling everything and nothing at the same time. Tsuna was already having a headache from all these mental hoops he was jumping through.

"What are you talking about, Hibari-san?"

"It's true that I'm not imprisoning Bianchi. There's something else I have in mind. Tell me, Tsunayoshi-kun, do you know anything about your father's line of work?"

Tsuna furrowed his brows. "My father's line of work? My mother told me he worked construction overseas or something, but I never believed it. I just assumed he left us."

"Ah, yes. Your father has quite a primitive way of thinking." Masato walked back to the table and sat down, surprisingly. "I believe you'll have to sit down for this one."

"I thought you were a busy man."

"So, you don't want to know how to be valuable to us?"

Tsuna's brow twitched. Restraining a sigh, he plopped down on the chair across from Masato. He crossed his arms over his chest; his heart picked up speed when he took a deep breath.

"What does my father have to do with this again?"

"I will be frank with you, Tsunayoshi-kun. This may not have been the best way to learn about it, but since you insist so much on helping Bianchi, there's no other way."

"Just tell me, Hibari-san."

"Your father is Sawada Iemitsu, the head of CEDEF, which makes him the second-in-command to Nono of the Vongola famiglia. In short, your father is in the mafia."

* * *

 **Little Fun Facts**

 **1) According to research, if someone makes a head movement when you ask them a direct question, it's a sign that they may be lying to you. Hence Tsuna being a little suspicious when Masato tilted his head slightly when he asked him about Bianchi's punishment.**

 **2) Another sign of lying is when the other person is staring at you without blinking much in an attempt to intimidate and control you.**

 **3) When Bianchi mentioned that she cannot tell the police everything, she is referring to Omerta, the "Vow of Silence". But of course, Tsuna has no clue about that or much of anything, haha.**

* * *

 **A/N Ahhh. I apologize that this took so long to update! Thank you so much for your patience! Other than that, finals are finally over, yay!**

 **I actually rewrote this chapter four times because of Masato—what a difficult man to write. Hopefully he came out alright. He's a huge factor in the Kyoya angst later though, just saying, hehe. And yeah, I do admit that Tsuna was a little too OOC in the last chapter… That was my bad, haha.**

 **Oh dear, so many questions, not a lot of answers. Bombshells after another and Tsuna is still out of the loop, haha. After this chapter though, I have a better idea of how involved he'll be later in the future. Any guesses to that and what Masato has in store for Bianchi? Ohohoho.**

 **Thank you so much for reading and for all of your reviews, peeps! Leave a thought or two if you can! I'll try to answer any question as soon as possible.**

 **I hope to see you again in the next chapter!**

 **Have a lovely day~**

 **Little Miss Bunny**

 **Revised: 4/15/2018**


	5. Chapter 5

" _True love is selfless. It is prepared to sacrifice."_ – Sadhu Vaswani

* * *

Tsuna opened his mouth then closed it. He mulled over the bizarre yet unsurprising statement.

Suddenly, it all made sense. The nonexistent calls, the constant absence of his father, the random postcards that were barely related to their short content—just wow, his father was an _idiot_. Restraining the urge to sigh, Tsuna pinched the bridge of his nose and counted to twenty slowly in his head.

He looked up to meet Masato's blank gaze. Tsuna pursed his lips.

"Please continue, Hibari-san."

Unperturbed by the strange acceptance of the situation, the man continued. "The Vongola is the most powerful mafia family in the underworld. It's based in Italy where your father currently is."

"Are Bianchi and Gokudera related to this somehow?"

"Yes. They are the children to the don of an alliance family." Masato clasped his hands in front of him. Tsuna noticed that he wore black gloves. "They're not supposed to be here without reason since Namimori is neutral territory."

Tsuna furrowed his brows. Neutral territory? Was Namimori…another place connected to the underworld? He glanced at the man in front of him. Then that would mean Masato was involved in some way. Honestly, it wasn't too surprising. Not much was known about the man himself and no one dared to pry about his life. Still, this was beginning to sound more absurd by the minute.

"Bianchi didn't give you a reason?"

"She would not tell us anything. She and her brother are in more trouble than it's worth, Tsunayoshi-kun."

"Were they being pursued by those men?"

"Yes, but for different reasons."

Tsuna frowned. "Can you just tell me how this will help her? You're not being very clear."

Masato stared at him for an unnerving second, silently assessing his features. "They're fugitives. While it was smart for Bianchi to come here to avoid her other captors, it's in our right to hand her over or not."

Tsuna was almost afraid to ask. He _knew_ he wouldn't like the answer. "What did they do?"

"They eradicated their whole family by planting explosives in their own home."

The color drained from Tsuna's face. His nails dug harshly into his palms. He swallowed a small lump in his throat. Rationally, that made sense, an awful lot of sense. The way Bianchi killed those men without a second thought, of not wanting the police involved—Kami, why did it have to make _sense_?

But…they were just _kids_.

 _Beggars couldn't be choosers,_ his mind supplied inappropriately.

"I see. And you were about to hand her back to their…captors?"

"It is per mafia law to be arrested for crimes against the mafia. They have done so and should be punished."

"But there's something else you want from them, don't you?"

"They're safe in Namimori and cannot be touched by Vendicare, which is a separate institution for mafia prisoners. Their officers are the Vindice."

"Avenge"—lovely. Tsuna didn't like the conclusions he was drawing. "Those criminals—the ones who hurt Hayato—are they somehow connected to the murders?"

Masato regarded him coolly. "You're smarter than I gave you credit for, Tsunayoshi-kun. Perhaps you might be useful after all."

Tsuna's brow twitched, but he restrained the urge to punch the man's face. "Do you know why they're chasing her?"

"We can only assume that the children know something they shouldn't. Otherwise, they would've been taken alive. Those men are suspected to be part of another mafia family with an extensive network in Italy and Japan. We suspect that they're an integral part of the black market, particularly the organ trade, and possibly involved in human experimentation."

Tsuna widened his eyes. Black market? Organ trade? Human experimentation? Just what the fuck…? What did Bianchi and Hayato get themselves into?

"I'm sure I made things clear enough for you, Tsunayoshi-kun."

The young man closed his eyes, feeling weary and absolutely unprepared for what he was about to get himself in to. "You want me to talk and get something out of her."

"Or I will call the Vindice."

Tsuna gritted his teeth when Bianchi's terrified face flashed in his mind. Sighing, he straightened himself.

"And if she tells me what you need, what will you do with her?"

"She and her brother are free to go."

Tsuna raised a brow. "As in no prison time?"

"That's the extent of my good will. They'd also unnecessarily crowd the prison cells."

What prisoners were already in captive? Tsuna shuddered. He didn't want to know. Still, there was a sense of foreboding that coiled in his stomach, as if saying if he agreed to what Masato was asking for, there was no going back.

Tsuna forced his tongue to work. "If you give me some time…I'll get the information for you."

Though Masato didn't outwardly show it, he held the air of someone who had ultimately called checkmate, and _that_ irked Tsuna to no end. He nodded.

"You have fifteen minutes. I expect results, Tsunayoshi-kun."

Tsuna clenched his fists, feeling some blood underneath his fingernails.

* * *

Bianchi was already seated at the interrogation table.

Tsuna suppressed a shiver when he entered the room. Kusakabe looked at him solemnly while Mochida stared at him like he was some alien. Either way, Tsuna had to do this.

"Are you okay, Bianchi?" he said quietly, sitting across from her.

Bianchi's hands were lax on the table, her handcuffs glistening under the lights. She just stared at him and looked like a motionless doll.

"I'll take that as a no then." Tsuna ran a hand through his hair. "Look, Bianchi, I—"

"I can't say anything." Bianchi sounded exhausted. "I can't."

"Hibari-san told me what happened, that you and Hayato…you know, your family." Tsuna rested his hands on the table to show that he wasn't hiding anything. Bianchi tensed and averted her gaze down to the floor. "Why?"

Bianchi pursed her lips. "I don't need to tell you anything."

"You'll have to if you don't want to go to Vendicare."

Bianchi glared at him though there was fear in her eyes. "How do you know that?" She clicked her tongue. "Never mind. I don't care. You're one of them—you're like all of them. I should've known."

Tsuna furrowed his brows. "I'm not like them or whoever you're talking about, Bianchi. Honestly, I don't even know what the fuck is going on. I only learned about this like what, five minutes ago? I'm not asking you to cut me some slack here, but I'd appreciate it if you just come clean with what you know. Think about Hayato." Bianchi snapped her gaze at him. "If you go down, Hayato goes down with you."

The tension in the air suddenly became even more palpable. Tsuna's hands shook, but he didn't look away from Bianchi who looked more conflicted than when he entered the room.

"Bianchi." Tsuna's voice was softer now, gentle. "Think carefully. These people here—they have the upper hand right now. This isn't Italy or wherever you're from. You don't have to tell me everything. Just tell me what they need. Those men that were after you and Hayato—who are they?"

The clock's ticking was the only sound that breached the suffocating silence. Tsuna resisted the urge to shake his leg, sitting completely still with baited breath. He hoped—he _prayed_ —that this would be over soon, that no more people would get hurt, that Bianchi would tell him whatever Masato wanted to hear.

He looked up when Bianchi inhaled sharply. On autopilot, he reached out and held her hand in his. She tensed but didn't shy away from his touch. Her hand was cold.

"I'd tell you to take your time," Tsuna said, "but we don't have that luxury right now."

Bianchi released a shaky breath. A minute or two passed until she finally spoke, "They…are from a famiglia—Carcassa. Haya—After our family—we ran. It was only a matter of time before the Vindice found out what we did."

Tsuna nodded despite how sick he felt. "And then what happened?"

"We chose to come here, to Namimori—there were little people here and we thought it'd be best to stay for however long we needed, maybe a new life. We wanted to lay low, away from the police, but they—the Carcassa sent those men here."

"They were sent here to kill you."

Bianchi nodded.

"Why?"

Bianchi looked down at her hands, which shook underneath Tsuna's hold, but he still didn't let go. "The Carcassa famiglia—they're vile people, worse than scum. They do terrible things—drugs, human trafficking, murder, rape. There's nothing they don't do. When we ran, we found a warehouse in Brindisi. We didn't know, but that was where they got their supplies."

Tsuna racked his brain to remember Italy's geography. Brindisi—that sounded familiar. "That's on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, right?"

Bianchi blinked. "You know it?"

Tsuna shrugged. "I took a world geography course before for credit. Anyways, you were in a warehouse in Brindisi that happened to be where they got their supplies. I'm going to guess that you weren't supposed to find out about that."

Bianchi pursed her lips. "Yes. That place was searched before but nothing was ever found. Many famiglia suspected them to be in some kind of terrible business but there was never any evidence to prove otherwise. We managed to escape to Athens before they could get us…"

"They sent those men after you." Tsuna licked his chapped lips. "That's stupid. They only sent two men." He laughed a bit. "Well, you know, granted you're both from…the mafia, they really underestimated you there."

Bianchi scowled. "This isn't a game. Those men were disposable. The Carcassa famiglia will do anything to cover their tracks, even sending their own members to death. I'm certain—No, I _know_ that there are more here."

Tsuna winced. "Right, sorry." He frowned. "But why would they send their people here? Namimori's neutral territory."

"Are you deaf, Sawada? They'd do _anything_." Bianchi clicked her tongue. "I shouldn't have come here. I shouldn't have brought you to Hayato."

"Hey, hey, hey. Look, what's done is done. Forget whatever happened before. Focus on what's happening now. You mentioned that there might be more men here. Do you know where they'd be?"

Bianchi sighed. "No famiglia could find anything back in Italy. What makes you think that I would know anything about them in Japan? I don't know."

Before Tsuna could respond, a knock came from the one-way mirror. He blinked. "Uh, wait here."

Bianchi scoffed. "Not like I can go anywhere."

Tsuna smiled slightly. "Right."

He left the room and closed the door behind him. "Is there something wrong? If you give me more time, I can—"

Kusakabe gave him a quick smile. "No, you're doing fine, Tsunayoshi-san. We were just discussing something that…might be of importance."

Mochida rolled his toothpick in his mouth. "What he means is that you have to convince her to cooperate with us if she wants to see her brother again."

Tsuna narrowed his eyes. "What?"

Masato didn't turn to face him, his eyes still trained on Bianchi's slightly anxious face. "Will it be hard to ask of her, Tsunayoshi-kun? I thought you wanted to be indispensable."

Tsuna scowled. "What do you want her to do? She doesn't know where those people are."

Mochida sighed, shaking his head. "I thought you were smart, Sawada. Those people are here because why?"

Tsuna widened his eyes. "You're going to use her as bait?"

"Bingo. We have a winner."

Kusakabe frowned. "Yori."

Mochida shrugged. "Whatever. Stop trying to be my mother, Shigeru. Anyways, if she cooperates with us, she can see her brother again and we'll be done with this whole matter—well, _if_ our plan goes well."

"And if she doesn't?" Tsuna said.

Masato looked at him then, making him shiver under his sharp gaze. "Then we will notify the Vindice."

"You're going to get rid of the only source of information you have on those people just because if she says no?"

"I thought we were clear on this before, Tsunayoshi-kun. You had fifteen minutes. Now you only have seven. I will not waste any more time on this."

Tsuna clicked his tongue. Without saying a word, he stormed back inside the room, startling Bianchi, and sat down in his chair with a scowl.

"You look peachy," Bianchi said after a minute.

Sighing, Tsuna gripped his hair. He scratched the back of his head. "Very."

Bianchi looked at him carefully. "What did they say?"

"If"—Tsuna straightened himself—"you want to see Hayato again, you will cooperate…and act as bait to find those people. Look, you don't have to agree with them. We can figure someth—"

"I'll do it."

Tsuna blinked. "What?"

Bianchi pursed her lips. "I'll do it— _but_ under one condition." She glanced at the one-way mirror with narrowed eyes. "You won't bother me or Hayato ever again. I _will_ evoke my rights as the heir of the Esposito famiglia for sanctuary."

A light buzz came from a hidden intercom in the room. Masato's voice spoke through.

"I understand, Ms. Esposito. We have much to plan and no more time to waste."

* * *

"Here."

Tsuna tensed when a cup of iced coffee was handed to him. Looking up to see Kusakabe, he took the offered cup.

"Thank you, Kusakabe-san."

Kusakabe nodded, sipping his own drink. Tsuna watched the light brown liquid swirl while shaking the cup. An hour or so passed since he last saw Mochida and Masato take Bianchi to another room. No matter how many times Tsuna thought about it, he still couldn't wrap his head around what he just learned in the span of twenty minutes.

His father being some kind of hotshot adviser to the most powerful mafia in Italy, Bianchi and Hayato on the run from the Vindice and Carcassa famiglia, and him being somehow in the middle of it all—he was just settling down in Namimori a few days ago and this whole shit suddenly blew up in his face.

"I don't mean to pry, but you seem to have a lot on your mind, Tsunayoshi-san."

Tsuna laughed as Kusakabe sat down next to him. "Don't I always? I don't know. Just, there's a lot to take in." He sighed. "Did you know…about my father?"

"I'm sorry, Tsunayoshi-san."

"You don't have to be. I just don't know what to do." Tsuna laughed bitterly. "I'm sure my mother doesn't know either. But, mafia? Really? I think he's better off dead."

"I'm sure he had his reasons."

"Whatever they are, I don't think they justify leaving us. I don't know. I want to be angry, but I'm just too _tired_ to be angry. I mean, I get it but… it's just fucked up when supposedly your famiglia comes first before your own _family._ " Tsuna narrowed his eyes. "That's something I can't forgive."

Kusakabe smiled slightly. "I'm sorry that this is far from the ideal situation you want to be in right now."

Tsuna rolled his eyes. "That's the understatement of the year." He rubbed his face with his hand. "Kami, they're just kids…"

"Don't push yourself to understand," Kusakabe said. "We can't choose our families."

Tsuna scowled. "My father _chose_ to be with my mother but still left anyways. He could've just stayed away from the beginning if Vongola or whatever was more important to him. Bianchi and Hayato—they didn't have to lead that kind of life."

"Maybe, but the world they live in is far different from yours. They might've had no choice to begin with."

Tsuna sighed. "Yeah, I know. I get that, but it's still…wrong."

"There is no right or wrong in their world, Tsunayoshi-san. They live only to survive."

"Isn't that the same with Hibari-san?"

"Ah, Masato-sama does what he believes is right." Kusakabe looked down at his cup. "His ideals aren't perfect, but he has his heart in the right place."

Tsuna sipped his coffee. "No one has his heart in the right place if they hit their own son."

Kusakabe tensed. "It's…complicated."

"I don't know much about the Hibari family," Tsuna said, slumping in his seat. "I don't think I'd like it if I _did_ know, but Hibari-san isn't a good man. That's what I think. You're a better man from what I've seen, Kusakabe-san."

The detective chuckled. "I may be nice, but that doesn't make me a good man, Tsunayoshi-san."

"I'm not saying you're a better man because you're nice, Kusakabe-san. At least you have the decency to treat others with respect." Tsuna downed the rest of his coffee and crushed the small plastic cup. "I'm sure you have your own demons. No one's perfect, but we should at least go out of our way to respect others for what they've been through."

Kusakabe laughed softly. "You have a rather different way of seeing things."

Tsuna shrugged. "It's just my perspective. I'm not saying it's right or wrong. That's purely subjective. You don't have to agree with me. I just think that whatever Bianchi and what her brother went through, it must've been difficult for them." He smiled slightly. "I've seen desperate people, Kusakabe-san. You can't stop them, no matter how hard you try."

"You're quite wise for your age," Kusakabe said, returning his smile. "Do you think that you shouldn't apply that same mentality with your father?"

Tsuna shook his head. "I'm not wise. I just saw things. That's life. I don't know about my father. It's different, I guess. I don't know him like my mother does, but it hurts to see her in pain when he's not there, you know? But whatever reasons he has, they should be better than choosing Vongola over my mother."

Whatever Kusakabe wanted to say was cut short when Mochida appeared from the end of the hall with Bianchi. The teen wasn't handcuffed anymore but she had a slim, black device wrapped around her ankle that could be mistaken for a tattoo. Tsuna stood up when they got closer.

"Are you okay, Bianchi?" he said.

Bianchi rolled her eyes. "This is nothing, Sawada."

"You're free to go now, Sawada," Mochida said, rolling his shoulders. "Sorry about the hold-up."

Tsuna jumped when Bianchi grabbed his arm. "What're you doing?"

"Take me to the hospital."

"Come back within the hour," Mochida said.

Bianchi didn't respond as she dragged Tsuna out of the police station.

* * *

The two of them rode in the taxi in awkward silence. Not even the driver tried to engage them in much conversation, only keeping his eyes on the road and slightly raising the radio volume. Some obnoxious pop song played in the background, but Tsuna didn't really listen to it. All he could hear was the steady pace of his heartbeat.

Bianchi shut the door loudly when they exited the car and marched towards the hospital. Tsuna followed her inside. They walked in another bout of tense silence after Tsuna received Hayato's room number. As soon as they found Hayato's room, Bianchi ran towards her brother's side and clutched his pale hand.

Tsuna hugged Nana when she approached him.

"Are you alright, Tsu-kun?" she said, touching his face. "You look pale." She narrowed her eyes. "Did they do something to you? Is Bianchi okay?"

Tsuna smiled. "I'm fine, Kaa-san. Bianchi's fine, too." He glanced at the siblings. "How is he?"

Nana sighed. "Well, the surgery went well. He'll need to stay here for a few more days. They put him on antibiotics, but he'll be fine in a week or two." She leaned into whisper, "Is everything alright, Tsu-kun?"

"Things are fine."

Nana pursed her lips. "You'll tell me more later."

Tsuna just nodded. He didn't know how long he'd keep his mother in the dark, but he'd try to keep her safe. However, he couldn't help but think about his father—Tsuna was doing the same thing he did and that didn't make him feel any better.

Nana approached Bianchi with a gentle smile and patted her shoulder. "He'll be fine, dear. He has to stay here for a few days so please, don't try to repeat what you did last time, alright? We'll be outside. Let me know if you need anything."

Bianchi just nodded, never taking her eyes off of Hayato. Nana ushered Tsuna outside and closed the door behind her. Tsuna noticed a few detectives lingering in the hallways dressed in casual clothing.

"What happened, Tsu-kun?" Nana said, clutching his arm.

Tsuna sat down on a bench nearby. His mother followed suit. "I don't know. Just, well, those men that came after me, they were…really bad." He grimaced at his choice of words. "Yeah, they weren't exactly angels."

"Tsu-kun."

"Right. Sorry, Kaa-san. It's been a tough day."

Nana squeezed his shoulder comfortingly. "I understand. I'm sorry for pushing you."

Tsuna shook his head. "No, it's fine." Sighing, he leaned back against his seat. "Those men…they were after Hayato and Bianchi. There's more of them here, too."

Nana gasped. "What? Why?"

"We don't know. The police are doing everything they can to find them. Bianchi agreed to help."

Nana's voice became quieter, almost a whisper. "But that's not everything, is it, Tsu-kun?"

Tsuna widened his eyes. "What do you mean, Kaa-san?"

His mother shook her head before smiling. "It's nothing."

The door slid open then before Bianchi walked out. She closed it behind her and headed towards them with confident steps. At that moment, she looked more like the young teenager she should be rather than a soldier going out to war.

"Thank you, Sawada-san," she said, "for watching over my brother."

Nana smiled gently. "It's not a problem, dear. Do you need anything?"

Bianchi shook her head. "I need to talk to Sa—Tsunayoshi for a moment if I can."

"Of course!" Nana stood up. "I'll go get some drinks. I'll be right back, Tsu-kun."

"Okay, Kaa-san."

After his mother left, Tsuna faced Bianchi with furrowed brows. "What did you want to talk about?"

Bianchi perused the hallways with a casual eye. "Can I trust you with Hayato?"

"I'm sorry?"

Bianchi scowled. "I'm not repeating myself, Sawada."

"Why are you saying that all of a sudden?"

"In case."

Tsuna pursed his lips. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Just answer the damn question."

"You're going to come back."

"I don't know."

There was a slight quiver in Bianchi's voice despite her blank face. For the umpteenth time, Tsuna was reminded how young she was. He sighed.

"You don't know."

"That's what I just said."

Tsuna scowled. "Alright, smartass. Do me a favor then."

Bianchi clicked her tongue. "What?"

"Come back—alive."

Bianchi deadpanned. "This is borderline sappy. I don't do sappy."

"Hey, if you promise, maybe I won't strangle you myself."

"Whatever. I'll try."

"Try it like you mean it. I don't want to be the one to break the news to Hayato that you came back in a box or something."

"Don't forget the bow."

Tsuna scoffed. "Cute."

Bianchi's lips slightly twitched upward. "I don't do cute either."

"Whatever. Just go do whatever you have to do."

Bianchi nodded. She stared at Hayato's room for a moment longer before heading towards the stairwell. Dread coiled in Tsuna's stomach as she walked further and further away. Before he knew it, he was already running down the hall.

"Wait!" He grabbed a black pen from a cup holder and reached out to take a hold of Bianchi's hand. He scribbled his number on her palm. "In case."

Bianchi gaped at him for a few seconds before barking out into laughter. "Who knew you had some moves, Sawada?"

Tsuna ignored the small jab. "Be careful, okay? Hayato needs you."

Bianchi sobered up a bit. She looked down at the numbers. "I know." Tsuna yelped when she punched him on the shoulder. "Keep him safe, okay? If something happens to him, I'll kill you."

Tsuna rubbed the aching spot with a wince. "Yeah, yeah, just get the hell out of here already. Shit, are you on steroids or something?"

Bianchi rolled her eyes. "Stop being a wuss." She turned around with a small wave. "Remember what I told you."

And just like that, she was gone again.

Tsuna clicked his tongue. Seriously, that punch _hurt_. However, he wasn't angry. He sighed as he went back to his seat and slumped. Why was his life biting him in the ass?

"Tsu-kun? Where's Bianchi?"

Tsuna rubbed his eyes. "She just left."

Nana sat beside him, handing him a cold soda can. "Is it safe for her to be out?"

"I don't know."

"Tsu-kun…"

"Kaa-san, I think I'll have to move to the apartment sooner than I thought."

* * *

 **A/N I'm so sorry this took a while to update. orz**

 **So, quite a lot happened here and we're almost done with the Bianchi/Gokudera arc! :^D**

 **A small refresher—the Carcassa famiglia is canon! Also, Miura Ayano was supposed to be Haru's mother until I realized that I made Haru** _ **older**_ **in this story and that Tsuna would've recognized her at the police station. I'm changing her last name and making her Haru's cousin instead. I went back and fixed it as well. I feel stupid, ahahaha.**

 **Thank you so much for your patience and for all the reviews, favorites, and follows!**

 **I hope to see you again in the next chapter!**

 **Have a lovely day~**

 **Little Miss Bunny**

 **Revised: 4/16/2018**


	6. Chapter 6

" _Without a family, man, alone in the world, trembles with the cold."_ – Andre Maurois

* * *

Tsuna ended up staying at the hospital overnight.

After convincing his mother to go home and rest while making sure the police escorted her back safely, he made himself comfortable outside Hayato's room. At some point, he dozed off to the quiet buzz around him.

Someone soon shook his shoulder, making him jump. Widening his eyes, Tsuna met the gaze of a startled nurse. She smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, Sawada-san. I didn't mean to scare you."

Tsuna shook his head. "No, it's okay." He stifled a yawn. "Is there something wrong?"

"I just wanted to let you know that the patient is awake. You can see him if you'd like."

"Oh, thank you. Do you mind if I ask for the time?"

The nurse glanced at her watch. "It's half past seven in the morning. Is there anything you'd like me to get you? The cafeteria is open now and you've been here all night."

Tsuna shook his head. "I'll pick up something later. Thank you."

After the nurse left, Tsuna stretched his arms in the air. Some bones popped when he cracked his neck. _Maybe_ he should've slept on a cot or something, he thought, rolling his sore shoulders. Yawning, he knocked on Hayato's door before entering. Hayato sat up on his bed, looking out the window. The blue drapes were drawn halfway, letting some weak sunlight filter in the room.

"Hayato?" Tsuna said, closing the door. His quiet voice sounded loud in the silence.

The teen turned then to face him. He was pale but fine nonetheless. "You…"

Tsuna smiled slightly. "Yeah. I'm not sure if you remember me. I called the ambulance when you were…injured."

Hayato pursed his lips. "Yeah. I remember you."

"How're you feeling?"

Shifting, Hayato grimaced when his hand reached up to his side. "Why did you help me?"

"I asked first." When Hayato gave him a blank stare, Tsuna rolled his eyes. "Wow, you and your sister are both impossible. Fucking puberty."

Hayato gritted his teeth, a small growl rumbling from his throat. Tsuna unconsciously stepped back. Right, the kid was from the mafia and blew up his family.

"Where's my sister? What did you do to her, bastard?"

Tsuna quickly held him down. "Calm down! You're going to reopen your stitches! Hey, hey, hey!" He yelped when Hayato bit his arm. "What the _fuck_?"

Hayato snarled. "Don't fucking touch me!"

Wincing, Tsuna rubbed his forearm. Red teeth marks imprinted his skin and they fucking _hurt_. A little blood trickled from the wound, making Tsuna's breath hitch. "If this is how you're going to treat someone who fucking saved your life, you need an etiquette check! Shit, you actually _bit_ me! Were you raised on the fucking streets, you little shit?"

"If you hurt my sister, I'm going to do fucking worse than _bite_ you!"

Tsuna glowered. "Like what, blowing me up?"

Hayato froze. Clicking his tongue, Tsuna assessed his wound, _praying_ that the kid wasn't infected or something. Could you get diseases from a human bite? Probably, most likely, hopefully not—but at this point, it paled in comparison to flesh-burning pastries. Actually, no because Tsuna was _bleeding_ and he was _this_ close to actually strangling Hayato to death.

"You don't know _anything_." Tsuna looked up. Hayato's voice was a little raspy. His hands shook when he clenched them into fists, wrinkling his white sheets. "You don't know anything…"

Swallowing some choice words, Tsuna settled on a withering sigh. He jerked open two drawers of a dresser nearby. When he found nothing, he clicked his tongue and pressed the nurse call button until his finger went numb.

The door opened a few minutes later, revealing the nurse who had woken up Tsuna. Her gaze immediately zeroed in on his arm before her eyes widened.

"Sawada-san, what happened?"

Tsuna smiled slightly. "Could you treat this and let me know if I'm infected with rabies?"

"I'll—I'll get a doctor."

"Great."

* * *

Treating the wound didn't take long, but Tsuna made sure Hayato watched everything, just to subliminally guilt-trip the kid, which didn't seemed like it worked. Hayato could probably light his eyes on fire if he could. After thanking the doctor and nurse, Tsuna made himself comfortable near Hayato's bed but kept enough distance just in case.

He rolled his eyes. "Glad puberty's treating you well. You know, looking at me like that isn't going to change the fact that you, I don't know, bit me? You're going to ruin that pretty face if you keep it up."

Hayato sucked in a small breath. "What the fuck are you saying?"

Propping his elbow on the dresser, Tsuna leaned onto his fist. He deadpanned. "I'm letting you off for biting me for now. I might sue you later or something." He wrinkled his nose. "At least, you don't have rabies."

"I'm not an animal."

"You might as well be. Look"—Tsuna sighed—"this isn't the best situation for any of us. A lot of shit happened while you were out so—Don't give me that look. You're going to shut up and fucking listen to me. Ask questions when I'm done."

Hayato clicked his tongue, looking away. "Whatever."

Tsuna pursed his lips. The kid needed some serious attitude check. "After I _saved_ you, I called your sister. The men who stabbed you impersonated police officers and tried to get info on you both." Tsuna scowled when Hayato opened his mouth. "Shut up. When Bianchi came, she was adamant about no police and had the bright idea of breaking you out of the hospital _while_ you were still recovering from surgery. And that's how you ended up here—again."

"You're not—"

"I'm _getting_ there. A lot of stuff happened in-between, okay? The police got involved. The men that stabbed you tried to get to me, too." Tsuna's breath hitched when he remembered Ferro choking him against the wall. He could still feel the man's strong, meaty hand around his throat. The sensation of pain pulsed around his skin, faint but there. "They—Your sister came then. She—She killed them with her weird cakes."

Hayato thankfully stayed quiet while Tsuna spoke. "Bianchi brought me to you after. You got an infection in your stitches and a bad fever. I made her bring you back or else you would've died for real. Police asked her about the men and…to help them."

Hayato narrowed his eyes. " _Aneki_ wouldn't do that."

"She did."

Hayato clicked his tongue. "And you let her?"

Tsuna suppressed a sigh. "They threatened to tell the Vindice about you— _both_ of you." Hayato tensed at the mention of the mafia jail keepers—seriously, _mafia_. Namimori was the _least_ likely place Tsuna would expect to have any kind of criminal activity. "Look, I don't know what your issues are or what you've been through, but—"

"Then why are you here?" Hayato said, glaring. "It's none of your damn business."

Tsuna scowled. "Because _I_ was the one who happened to pass by while you were bleeding to death; and being the good Samaritan I am, I _helped_ you. I didn't expect all of _this_ to happen, especially you _biting_ my fucking arm if you forgot already."

"Then _leave_. We don't need your help."

"Tough luck. I promised Bianchi I'd stay with you until she comes back, so you're stuck with me for now. Hayato"—Tsuna hesitated when the teen scowled at his sheets—"I tried to stop her, but…the options weren't great. The people here have the upper hand, and Bianchi knew that. She's doing what she has to so you can be _safe_. And don't blame yourself about being some kind of baggage. It's not going to help."

"Is that everything?" Hayato said gruffly.

Tsuna massaged the bridge of his nose. "Ask away. I can't guarantee I can tell you everything, only what I know so far."

"Where is she?"

"I don't know. She and the police made some plan to… _lure_ the Carcassa members out. She left yesterday after seeing you. I didn't hear from either of them yet." Tsuna rolled his eyes when Hayato glared. "I'll let you _know_ if I hear anything. The police have been keeping this whole thing quiet from everyone, so you don't have to worry about people trying to question you or anything." Tsuna winced. "Actually, the detectives will probably ask you some questions when they find out you're awake."

"I'm not talking to anyone."

"Or you can keep pretending to be dead asleep, sure. Why not?"

They both didn't say anything for a while after that. Tsuna ran a hand through his hair, feeling even more sluggish than when he woke up.

"Why're you helping us?" Tsuna blinked when Hayato finally spoke, his voice quiet. "You didn't answer me. What's in it for you? Money?"

Tsuna scoffed. "Really? I'm pretty well off, thanks. Just think of me as a good Samaritan trying to help some kids get through some huge shitfest. I honestly don't know why I'm here, but I can't find a good reason to just… _leave_. There were some things better left buried." He sighed when Hayato made a face. "Look, I don't know how to explain it—call it a gut feeling or whatever you want. Also, your sister asked for a legitimate favor and I couldn't say no."

Hayato pursed his lips. "Aneki doesn't _ask_ for favors."

"Maybe, but this time she did. Do you know anyone here? Is there someone you can call for help? Go ahead—tell me." Tsuna scoffed when Hayato didn't say anything. "Right. No offense, but I'm kind of the only person here who can help you right now. You're stuck with me and until then, let's try not to kill each other when Bianchi comes back, okay?"

Standing up from his seat, Tsuna headed towards the door. "You want anything? Juice?" When there was no response, Tsuna just shrugged, not looking back. "Suit yourself. If you're not here when I come back, I swear I'm going to hunt you down and kill you myself."

Hayato remained silent.

* * *

Two days passed since, and there was still no word from Bianchi or the police.

Tsuna brewed another cup of coffee. He hadn't been able to sleep since leaving the hospital briefly. Nothing happened in Namimori—until now anyways—and he hadn't heard about patients without organs being rolled in. There wasn't even a peep from the press or police. Tsuna wondered if anyone was suspicions at all on what was happening, but then again, most of them was brainwashed by the Hibari family. It was pretty terrifying now that he thought about it.

The coffee machine whirred quietly, breaking the silence of his new apartment. Most of his stuff was still unpacked in the living room. Tsuna had moved in the other day at dawn so he could return to "babysitting" Hayato quickly. The kid tried to run away _five_ times already, which was fucking ridiculous. Hayato wasn't a _bad_ kid, just pissy and guarded. Tsuna could understand that, but that didn't mean he'd tolerate it.

After pouring the coffee in a canteen and packing Hayato's bento in his bag—it may or may not be a way to get on the kid's good side, but Tsuna _did_ find the hospital food lacking—he left his apartment with a thin hoodie to hide his bandaged arm.

Walking down the streets, Tsuna sipped his bottle, relishing the hot, rich coffee and the cool morning air. He was probably going to rely on the holy drink for the next couple of weeks. A hiring sign outside a restaurant soon caught his eyes, making him pause. It was average-sized with earthy colors; the name was printed in dark brown above the door: Iori Ramen.

Tsuna cocked his head. Had this always been here? He stepped closer to the windows and peered inside. It didn't seem to be open yet but the lights were on, illuminating a cozy space. Actually, the restaurant didn't look half-bad. It was pretty clean and—

"Whatcha looking for?" a voice suddenly whispered in his ear.

Tsuna yelped before covering his mouth. He stumbled backwards, tripping over his own feet, and fell to the ground. The young woman standing above him quirked a brow, but there was a hint of amusement in her dark eyes.

"A—Akiko!" Tsuna said, pointing at her indignantly. "What the hell? You almost gave me a heart attack!"

Akiko glanced at her fingernails. "Still dramatic as ever. Does that ever get boring to you?"

Tsuna scowled, which only made Akiko coo and pat his head. Blushing, he swatted her hand away before standing up. "What're you even doing here?"

"I work here."

Tsuna blinked. "This early?"

Akiko shrugged. "I do extra errands for Boss. What are _you_ doing here?"

"I was just…passing by."

"I meant Namimori."

Tsuna rolled his eyes. "What, I can't come here for vacation? I'm a legitimate citizen if you haven't realized that yet."

Humming, Akiko glanced at the hiring sign. "Need a job?"

Sometimes, Tsuna really hated Akiko. They'd been classmates back in high school but didn't talk much until senior year when they were paired up for a history project. It somehow worked out and they got a pretty good grade at the end. After that, they hung out for a while before Tsuna left for Tokyo. They didn't keep in touch—well, Tsuna rarely stayed in touch with anyone besides his mother and occasionally Haru, but he guessed that they were…friends? Acquaintances? But if there was one person he didn't want for an enemy, it was Akiko.

"What makes you say that?"

Akiko rolled her eyes before gesturing at the restaurant. "My boss is already in. Wanna meet him?"

Tsuna pursed his lips. "I don't know…"

Akiko had already opened the door then. "You want a job or not?"

"Yeah…"

"Great." She grabbed a piece of paper and a pen from the counter. "If it helps your pride, you can fill this out. I won't say anything."

Tsuna stared at the job application for a second or two, sighed, then took them. He quickly scribbled down whatever the form asked and handed it back to Akiko. "Don't you need my resume or something?"

Akiko skimmed the application. "You're applying for a ramen joint, not some hotshot corporation. You know how to work a cash register?"

"Yeah."

"Write down orders?"

"Yeah…"

"Talk to people?"

Tsuna sighed. " _Yes_."

Akiko smiled sweetly. "Perfect." Her face swiftly returned to its deadpan stare. "You're hired."

"Wait—"

"When can you start?"

"Wait, wait, wait. What about your boss?"

Akiko shrugged. "We're short-handed. Plus, you're not dumb. When can you start?"

Tsuna suppressed a sigh, running a hand a hand through his hair. "I don't know. Can I get back to you on that? Maybe next week? I'm not sure."

Akiko leaned against the counter. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Clicking the pen, Akiko raised a brow. "You still have my number, right?"

"I think."

Tsuna fished his phone out of his pocket. He looked through his messages and checked for any missed calls first. Still nothing.

"Can't find my name?" Akiko said, startling him.

"Uh, right, yeah. Sorry." Tsuna browsed through his contacts list. "This your number?" He showed her his phone. After Akiko nodded, he pocketed it and adjusted his bag's strap. "Well, thanks, I guess. I'll text you."

"Right." Akiko waved his application. "I'll give this in to make you feel better, hotshot."

Rolling his eyes, Tsuna waved over his shoulder while he walked out. "Whatever. See you then."

"Don't let the door hit you on the way out."

"Shut up."

Tsuna might be lying if he said that he didn't feel a bit better.

* * *

"Morning, sunshine."

Hayato scowled when Tsuna entered his room. He turned away with a huff, missing Tsuna's small grin that showed some teeth. "You again."

"I told you. Keeping Bianchi's promise here. Anything else you want to say? Something _new_?"

"Fuck off."

"Boring." Tsuna plopped down on a chair next to Hayato's bed and dropped his bag on the floor. He took another swig of his coffee, which was a little cold. "Anyways, no can do, sweetheart. Bianchi's not back yet. And no, I haven't heard from anyone. Did you eat?"

Hayato clicked his tongue. "I don't need to answer you." He fell back against his pillow. "I'm going to sleep. Leave me alone."

Tsuna shook his head. "How the hell did Bianchi handle you?"

Hayato glared. "Stop talking about my sister."

"I'm just saying." Tsuna took out Hayato's bento and placed it on the dresser. The kid never touched Tsuna's food, but he'd eat it—eventually. They'd get there. Taking out a new book, Tsuna opened to the first page. "Sleep if you want. I'll be quiet."

"I'd prefer it if you just leave."

"Just shut up and go to sleep."

The room was quiet then, aside from the IV drip and Tsuna occasionally turning a page. He snuck a peek at Hayato who stared out the window; his gaze was vacant, lost. It kind of made Tsuna feel a little bit of pity for him—a little bit. If anything, Hayato looked infinitely younger and older at the same time, but just the more vulnerable. The sun was halfway up the sky, its rays weak but bright enough to emit a soft orange glow on the courtyard outside. A few birds twittered as they flew by.

"You were late."

Tsuna paused his reading to meet Hayato's blank gaze. He tilted his head. "What?"

Hayato pursed his lips. "You were late."

Tsuna glanced at the clock. "I wouldn't know. Why?" He smiled almost teasingly. "You kept track?"

"You broke off from your routine." Hayato sounded like a machine, creeping Tsuna out. "How do I know you're not just some Carcassa bastard or Vindice?" He glared, but the fear in his eyes was fresh, raw. Maybe, Tsuna could work with something here. "Did you sell some info or something? Are you—"

"Hayato." Tsuna closed his book. "Look, I get it—you're terrified. I'm scared, too. You might not trust me, but Bianchi does. That's enough for me to stay and watch over you." He smiled sardonically. "Plus, I was the one who saved your ass _twice_. I'm not asking you to spill your heart out or anything like that—I don't care. Maybe, just _maybe_ , you could cut me some slack here."

Hayato's hands clenched into fists. "This could all be a fucking set-up."

"If I wanted to kill you, I would've done it _way_ before we even got here. What's the point in me sitting here and watching you every day? I could've gotten rid of you already and hunt down Bianchi now." Tsuna shrugged. "That's just one way of looking at it. Look, I know you're not a normal kid, no offense. I get that you have a reason to be suspicious, but really, just try to trust me—or trust Bianchi."

Hayato didn't say anything for a while, his breathing a little ragged. "I don't—I'm—Fuck."

Tsuna edged closer to Hayato's bed and raised his hands when the teen tensed. "I'm not going to hurt you. Take your time."

"Don't tell me what to fucking do."

There was less heat in Hayato's voice. He sounded exhausted more than anything.

"You really don't have to spill your heart out," Tsuna said. "I kind of meant it. Whatever dark shit you were involved in is just, no. I'm better off not knowing."

Hayato scoffed. "I don't _do_ that."

"I figured."

Another beat of silence passed. Tsuna tried hard not to move. He evened out his breaths and waited. He'd been in this situation before; granted the circumstances were way different now (and out of his league), he'd seen people like Hayato—angry, terrified, closed-off. All Tsuna had to do was be patient.

Yeah, patient. Honestly, he was just as exhausted as Hayato. Actually, he couldn't compare to what Hayato was going through. It didn't feel right; then again, Tsuna had a figurative bomb dropped on him the last few days.

"My father"—Tsuna crossed his legs—"isn't really the Father of the Year. He rarely calls or visits. I don't remember his face, but I remember the shitty postcards he sends us. Once he got my birthday wrong by two months. My mother"—He sighed—"She loves him, she really does. But what he did to _her_ is unforgivable. It's not every day you learn that your father's in the fucking mafia."

Hayato's eyes marginally widened. Looking down at his pale fists, he mumbled something under his breath that Tsuna couldn't catch.

"That's about as far as I'll go." Tsuna propped his feet on another chair. "Never liked talking about him and never will, but I think that he shouldn't have married my mother if famiglia was more important than family."

"They're the same thing," Hayato said, though he didn't sound too sure.

Tsuna pursed his lips. "No, they're not. Technically, yeah, but they don't mean the same in this context. Family's _everything_. It's complicated but we love each other even if we sometimes hate each other. I bet you hated Bianchi when she did something that pissed you off, but still love her anyway. Weird, right? Family—Family's just something you _need_. You love each other and you _stick_ together, no matter what. Famiglia's just a bunch of shady maniacs loyal to some bastard at the top. Being loyal to famiglia is being loyal to the don, but with family, that's everyone. Of course, it's more of an ideal thing, but you get the gist. Hayato"—the teen looked at him then—"Bianchi will come back. Just wait a little longer, okay?"

Before Hayato could say anything, Tsuna's phone suddenly rang. They tensed. When Tsuna looked at the caller ID, his heart nearly skipped a beat: it was Kusakabe.

"Hello?" he said, trying to keep his voice calm.

"Good morning, Tsunayoshi-san," the detective said. "I'm sorry if I woke you."

"Oh, um, no." Tsuna placed a finger against his lips when Hayato opened his mouth. "I was already awake. Did…something happen?"

"Everything's fine. There's no need to worry. Bianchi is safe. She's here at the station."

Tsuna was already up, grabbing his bag and almost stumbling over his chair. "Really?"

"Yes."

"So then this it's all over, right?" Kusakabe stayed quiet for a second too long. Tsuna pursed his lips. "It's not."

"We were hoping that you came down to the station." Kusakabe quickly added, "As soon as you're available, of course."

"I'm heading there now. Thank you, Kusakabe-san."

"I'll send an escort for you."

Ah, things weren't completely resolved then.

Tsuna sighed. "Okay. I'm at Namimori General Hospital."

"Thank you, Tsunayoshi-san. I'll see you soon."

After Kusakabe hung up, Tsuna pocketed his phone and pushed Hayato down before he could leave his bed. The teen scowled.

"What the hell?" Hayato said. "I'm going."

"You're not fully recovered."

"I can _walk_ on my own."

Tsuna glared. "No, you can't. Stay and wait until I come back. Nothing good will come out of you coming with me. It'll only take a few minutes, I swear. Bianchi's fine. I'll bring her back."

Hayato faltered. His jaw clenched. "You better bring her back. I'm giving you fifteen minutes."

Tsuna made a small face. "It takes ten minutes to get to the station and back."

"Fine, twenty."

" _And_ they'd probably want to resolve some other shit. You know, adult stuff."

Hayato looked like he wanted to kill him and Tsuna was pretty sure he could. "Just come back!"

Snickering, Tsuna opened the door. "Yeah, yeah. I'll be back in an hour, sweetheart." He gave a mock-salute, much to Hayato's annoyance. "Be good, 'kay? _Bye_."

He closed the door just as Hayato flung a bottle of hand sanitizer at him. It slammed against the door with a loud bang, startling some patients and nurses in the hall.

Tsuna smiled innocently. "Whoops, must've closed it too hard. Sorry about that."

* * *

When Tsuna arrived at the police station, Kusakabe was already waiting for him at one of the side entrances. The detective immediately led him to the elevator.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Tsunayoshi-san," Kusakabe said, pressing the button for the third floor. "We appreciate it."

"Is Bianchi okay?"

Kusakabe smiled. "Yes, she's fine."

Leaving the elevator, the two walked down the hallways to the same interrogation room Bianchi had been in before. Tsuna widened his eyes when he saw her standing outside the door. She leaned against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest. Wearing some jeans and a dirty blouse, Bianchi looked a ittle roughed up.

"Bianchi," Tsuna said.

The girl looked up then, somewhat relaxing when she saw him. She waved nonchalantly. "Sawada."

Her lips were split and bleeding, and there was small bruise on her left cheek.

Tsuna's breath hitched. "This is _okay_ to you, Kusakabe-san?"

The man had the decency to look flustered. "Ah, well, that's what she wanted me to tell you."

Bianchi rolled her eyes. "This is nothing. Could've been worse. How's Hayato?"

Tsuna sighed. "Angry and difficult—Kami, both of you are impossible." At Bianchi's amused smirk, he scowled. "He fucking _bit_ me when he woke up. If I were anyone else, I'd sue the hell out of him!"

Bianchi burst out laughing while Kusakabe looked at Tsuna with wide eyes.

"Are you alright?"

Tsuna pursed his lips. "I'm fine. Stop _laughing_."

Bianchi wiped a tear from her eye, still laughing; the grin on her face spoke volumes. "Oh, that's rich. Remind me to give him a hug later."

Tsuna scowled. "You're both psychos." He handed Bianchi some tissue from his bag. "For your lips. Let's go and get you ointment or something. Why didn't you get her treated, Kusakabe-san? She at least did this much for you."

"We only returned half an hour ago. However, it was a tentative success. We were able to capture one of the members at the scene but haven't been able to get anywhere."

Bianchi scoffed. "They're all trained for this. You _will_ get nowhere."

Tsuna looked back and forth between them. "So, I'm guessing that this isn't over." Bianchi just stared at him blankly. "Great."

The door opened then, revealing Mochida. He raised a brow when he noticed Tsuna.

"You got here quick," he said, rolling a toothpick in his mouth. "Nice timing. Get in."

Tsuna blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

Bianchi scoffed. "It won't work."

"He somehow got to you, princess, so have a little faith." Ignoring Bianchi's glare, Mochida pulled Tsuna inside the room. "Try to pull off what you did with Bianchi with her."

Tsuna tugged his arm away from Mochida's grip. "Wait, what? Are you telling me I have to _talk_ to her?" He glanced at the one-way mirror; inside, Masato was talking to a woman, blocking her from view. "Are you kidding me? Kusakabe-san?"

Kusakabe went for a comforting smile, but it looked more like a grimace. "I'm sorry, Tsunayoshi-san, but Masato-sama insists on it. You have skill."

"But that was different." Tsuna pursed his lips. "I'm not even a cop."

He tensed when Masato stood up then and headed towards the door. His breath hitched when he saw the woman. Her light brown hair was matted with fresh blood and she wore a gray-striped T-shirt torn at the shoulder, revealing some scrapes. A nasty bruise formed on her left temple.

"Please tell me that those aren't from Hibari-san," Tsuna said, his voice cracking slightly.

No one answered him. Masato opened the door, his face blank as usual. He nodded towards Tsuna.

"Tsunayoshi-kun," he said, "thank you for coming."

"I don't exactly want to be _here_ , Hibari-san."

Masato brushed Tsuna off way too easily for his comfort. "She has been proving more difficult than we thought. I was thinking that you should give it a try." He adjusted his black gloves casually. Tsuna tensed when he saw some specks of blood on his wedding ring. "It'd be highly appreciated, Tsunayoshi-kun."

Tsuna tightened his grip on his bag. He eyed the woman in the room for a moment. This was just fucking ridiculous. "If I say no?"

"I'm certain you know the answer to that."

Tsuna clicked his tongue. "But why me? I'm not even an authorized figure. I just want to bring Bianchi to her brother and get this over with."

He unconsciously stepped back when Masato directed his gaze at him. His eyes seemed darker, if that was possible.

"You insisted on being useful, Tsunayoshi-kun," Masato said, his voice infuriatingly calm. "I'm simply providing you the opportunities to do so."

"That was different then."

"It's not different at all. I have the right to revoke Ms. Esposito's claim for sanctuary and simply hand her and her brother to the Vindice. I suggest you check where you stand right now." Masato glanced at his watch. "Time is precious, Tsunayoshi-kun. We might lose them while you waste your thoughts on trivial things."

Bianchi clenched her hands into fists but remained admirably quiet. Tsuna looked at Kusakabe who frowned apologetically. Mochida was answering a text on his phone but glanced at Masato occasionally from the corner of his eye, contrary to his lax posture. This…wasn't what Tsuna expected.

Despite that, he didn't know why he wasn't surprised—he was just spent.

"What do you need?" Tsuna said, sighing.

Masato nodded slightly. "Your help is greatly appreciated."

Tsuna scowled, not caring if it was rude. "Whatever. Just tell me what you want. I can't guarantee anything but…I'll try."

"Excellent."

* * *

When Tsuna entered the interrogation room, he tried hard not to flinch when the woman's eyes landed on him. They were unnaturally golden, almost yellow.

She pursed her lips, not saying a word when Tsuna walked in. Her hands were handcuffed to the table where he could see them. He felt a little naked without his bag, which Bianchi held onto for him. She'd given him a slightly anxious look before he went inside.

Taking a small breath, Tsuna unzipped his hoodie and shrugged it off his shoulders. He raised his hands in a placating gesture.

"I'm just going to put this over you," he said, shaking his orange hoodie. "I'm not with the police."

The woman glared. " _Non parlerò_." [I'm not talking.]

 _No wonder she wouldn't talk to anyone,_ Tsuna thought, mentally rolling his eyes.

" _Assumerò tu non parli giapponese_ ," he said. [I'm going to assume you don't speak Japanese.]

The woman blinked. " _Puoi parlare italiano…?_ " She immediately scowled and looked away. " _Non importa. Non ci parlo più con te."_ [You can speak Italian…? It doesn't matter. I won't talk to you anymore.]

Tsuna sighed before placing his hoodie over the woman's shoulders. Her body tensed when he wrapped it around securely so it wouldn't fall.

"See?" he continued in Italian. "Nothing's going to happen to you. It's my favorite so be careful with it."

The woman didn't say anything but didn't shrug off his hoodie either. Sitting across from her, Tsuna placed his hands on the table, a little glad that they weren't shaking. Showing any weakness would lower any chances of getting anything out of her. She immediately glanced at his bandaged arm but didn't say anything.

Tsuna smiled slightly. "I got bit by a dog."

Scoffing, the woman shifted in her seat. "I didn't ask."

"No, but I thought it'd be nice to share. I don't think I caught your name."

The woman narrowed her eyes. "I never said."

"I'm Tsunayoshi Sawada, but you can call me Tsuna. I'm not a cop or anything so you don't have to worry too much…kind of."

The woman made a small face. "Then what are you?"

Tsuna smiled. "I thought you didn't want to talk to me." He raised his hands when the woman jerked her cuffs. "It's okay. I'm just a translator. Honestly, the police really needs an update in their international department. I don't think they have one but they should think of making one. It'd help people like you."

While the woman massaged her palm with her thumb, Tsuna saw a glimpse of red rope marks around her wrists. She suddenly tugged her hands away as far as she could.

Tsuna's smile wavered. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare." He hesitated for a second. "Did Hibari-san do that to you?"

The woman glared, her eyes almost glowing under the lights. Okay, that didn't look natural—at all. "I'm not _talking_."

Tsuna licked his lips. He felt a bead of sweat drip down the side of his face. It took every ounce of willpower to keep him from screaming and running out the room. Clasping his hands together, Tsuna forced a smile.

"That's okay," he said. "We'd probably both get beaten up after anyways. Hibari-san can be…a little rough." The woman scoffed. "You know, he does that to his son, too." Tsuna's senses went haywire when she flinched. "I never saw it, but he hits him. I don't understand parents who beat their own kids." He paused. "Do you?"

The woman curled her hands into fists, her knuckles turning white. Trembling, she took a deep breath to calm herself down. Tsuna leaned in a little closer.

"I don't think you're involved with them because you want to, ma'am," he said softly. "I think you're a good person."

She glared. "Don't talk like you know me."

"I _want_ to know more about you. It will help me help you." Tsuna pursed his lips. "There's no easy way out of this. You know that. If you don't talk, I can't guarantee what Hibari-san will do. The most likely scenario is that he'll let you go—you'll be _killed_. He disposes anyone who aren't useful to him." He edged his hand closer to hers. She didn't pull away. "Please, think this through. Your options are limited. You're nothing to Carcassa now so you don't have to protect them. They're just going to _kill_ you. I don't want that to happen and neither do you."

A moment of silence passed, their quiet breaths the only sound in the room. The woman's breathing soon became ragged as she clasped her hands to keep them from shaking. Her breath hitched when Tsuna placed his hand over them; her skin was so cold.

"I'd let you take your time, but we don't know if it'd be too late."

The woman inhaled sharply through her nose. "If I tell you…what will happen to me?"

"We'll protect you. The police here are capable."

The woman pursed her lips. "Animals—all of them." She sighed then, looking much older than she seemed. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything."

She rubbed her wrists. "I—I don't know…"

Tsuna clasped her hands firmly. "Just tell me what _you_ know. It's _okay_. You're safe here."

When she met his gaze, her eyes seemed to return to a more normal shade of brown; there was a still a tinge of yellow in them though. She shifted in her seat. "We were sent here—eight of us. Those children saw things they shouldn't. No child should've seen them."

"In Brindisi."

The woman tensed. "Yes." Exhaling unsteadily, she closed her eyes. "They said that they'd pay us if we…killed them."

"And where are they now?"

"When we heard Rico and Ferro failed, we panicked. With them gone, we didn't know what to do; they were the ones who brought us here. So we moved to Yumei and waited."

"Where in Yumei?"

"I—I don't know the street name but we stayed in an apartment above a fish market."

Tsuna wracked his brain. Yumei was one of the smaller districts in Namimori and not hard to navigate. There were a few fish markets but he needed more detail.

"Can you tell me what the market looks like? Do you remember the stores around it? Anything that stood out to you?"

The woman furrowed her brows. "The market isn't big but it has many stalls. There's a hair salon across from it. The window has painted flowers on them." She perked up. "Camellias. They were white camellias."

"How long will it take before they run for it?"

She clicked her tongue. "They're not like Rico and Ferro but"—her lips curled in disgust—"it will take them a little time to get out. They'll need to arrange transportation on short notice."

A chill ran down Tsuna's spine. "Are they…carrying something?"

The woman didn't speak for a few seconds, only looking down at her lap. "It's…not good. _Carlo_ , that idiot, thought he could get on Carcassa's good side if he did something else for them." Tsuna squeezed her hands comfortingly. "He and the others—They killed people and took their organs, thinking it'd make Boss happy if they returned with better things…"

Tsuna's breath hitched. He could hear his blood pulsing in his ears, the steady beat growing louder every second. The room suddenly felt much colder. Shaking his head, he took a deep breath to focus. He jumped when a knock came from the door.

"I'll be back."

Before he could stand, the woman suddenly gripped his hands, her eyes wide. "Please, if you go, promise me that you'll save my son! He's innocent!"

Tsuna gaped. "What?"

"My son, Fausto—please promise me that he will be safe!"

Tsuna didn't even hesitate. "I will. Don't worry. I'll bring him back to you."

Tears streamed down the woman's face while she clasped his hands in hers, as if she was praying. "Thank you…" She wiped her eyes before looking up. "Olivia—Olivia de la Stella. That's my name."

Tsuna smiled gently. "It's nice to meet you, Olivia. Well, not the best circumstances."

Olivia just laughed, looking less burdened than before.

* * *

Kusakabe and Mochida were gone when Tsuna left the room, but Bianchi lingered far from Masato while having a clear view of the interrogation room. Two officers led Olivia out. She still had Tsuna's sweatshirt draped over her shoulders.

"You did well as expected, Tsunayoshi-kun," Masato said.

Tsuna frowned. "What will happen to her?"

"She and the others will be persecuted to the fullest extent of the law." Tsuna's heart _ached_. "What she told us doesn't excuse her from her crimes."

Scowling, Tsuna said, "You don't even _know_ if she was involved with what they were doing. Did you see those marks on her wrists? She's also a victim."

"Perhaps it would've been best for her to have never been involved with them in the first place. This is a fair trade, Tsunayoshi-kun. You proved to be useful and received your end of the bargain. Ms. Esposito and her brother are free to remain in Namimori as long as they don't cause any trouble." Masato headed towards the exit before pausing. He peered over his shoulder at Tsuna. "I would also appreciate it if you don't spread baseless rumors as well. My family is my business as your family is your own."

Tsuna gaped when the man left. "Wait, you…"

Bianchi scowled, pushing off from the wall. "I don't like him."

Tsuna gritted his teeth. "Who does?"

"His poor wife probably but I'm not betting too much on that."

Sighing, Tsuna ran a hand through his hair. "Shit …"

He grunted when Bianchi tossed his bag into his hands. She placed her hands on her hip. "Don't try to be a hero, Sawada."

Tsuna rolled his eyes. "Are you complaining about me saving your ass? Show some fucking gratitude—you _and_ Hayato."

Bianchi shrugged but her lips slightly twitched. "I'm just saying. It's not worth it to save someone like her. Way too deep." She opened the door. "Hey, can we get something to eat? I'm hungry."

Tsuna scowled. "Buy it yourself."

Bianchi grinned. "No money, remember? This is a _completely_ fresh start for the both of us."

"You better mean you and Hayato and not us."

"Semantics."

"…I'm going to fucking strangle you."

* * *

Tsuna stood awkwardly to the side when they arrived at Hayato's hospital room.

The siblings held onto each other like their lives depended on it with Bianchi whispering some things in Hayato's ear. This was probably the only time Tsuna would get to see Hayato emote something else other than anger. Coughing lightly into his fist, Tsuna snuck around to grab the bento he had left for him. If the kid hadn't eaten it yet, he was. Running only on coffee wasn't good for an empty stomach.

When he opened the bento, he gaped; it was scraped clean.

"What the…" He looked up, meeting Hayato's gaze. "My food…"

Hayato flushed. "You left it for me, dumbass."

"Yeah, but I didn't expect you to actually _eat_ it." Tsuna groaned. "I'm _hungry_ , damn it."

"Join the club," Bianchi said, waving her hand. "So, is there anything good to eat around here?"

Tsuna slumped against the wall. "Just eat the hospital's food." He sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. "Do you have a plan?"

Bianchi twirled a strand of her hair. "What do you mean?"

Tsuna scowled. "Don't play dumb. Hibari-san didn't give you like a limited motel stay or something?"

Bianchi rolled her eyes. "We can stay in Namimori but we're on our own now." She shrugged. "We can find work."

Tsuna pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, but where are you going to _stay_? You can't live on the streets. Don't even _think_ about going back to that shitty apartment. That building should be _demolished_."

"We managed fine so far," Bianchi said, pursing her lips.

"Fine as in attracting a bunch of psychos trying to kill you? Yeah, _peachy_."

Bianchi just snorted while Hayato had the decency to look a little ashamed. Sighing, Tsuna filed through all the bad options running through his head. He shouldn't, he really shouldn't. His guts were saying yes but his mind—his precious, rational, _sane_ mind—was saying no. Well, that and he kind of did move in earlier than expected.

Kami, did he just unconsciously set this up for himself? Was that even possible? That was fucked up.

"My apartment isn't that big," he said slowly, "but you can stay with me until you find your own place."

A bout of silence fell in the room. When Tsuna met Bianchi's gaze, she smiled slightly.

"We'll take you up on that offer, Tsuna. Thank you."

* * *

 **Guest Review Responses:**

 **Guest – Thank you for reading and leaving a review! As mentioned before, this is a flameless!AU and I updated the summary to reflect that so there won't be any more confusion, haha. This will be a more realistic take (somewhat) of the mafia, but that doesn't mean I excluded other elements from canon. There will be more characters introduced gradually as Tsuna just ends up deeper in their world, haha. Hope you stay long enough for the ride! Thank you for reading! :^D**

* * *

 **A/N Gah, this was supposed to be updated yesterday but the site got wonky for me again. :^(**

 **Well, Tsuna's way off the deep end now, haha. And this is the end of the Bianchi/Gokudera arc! Hope you enjoyed it! We're just getting started with everything else. ;^)**

 **I'm pretty psyched for the next arcs and I hope you peeps come to enjoy them, too! Leave a thought or two if you can.**

 **Thank you for reading! I hope to see you again in the next chapter.**

 **Have a lovely day~**

 **Little Miss Bunny**

 **Revised: 4/24/2018**


	7. Chapter 7

" _May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears."_ – Nelson Mandela

* * *

Thankfully, his apartment wasn't too small.

For a one-person residence, it could accommodate three if Tsuna was smart about arranging the space. He'd give up his bedroom to Hayato and Bianchi, with Bianchi taking the bed and Hayato taking an extra futon Tsuna picked up from his mother's house.

Nana had walked him out, frowning. "Are you sure you can handle this, Tsu-kun?"

"It won't be for too long anyways. I'll call you when I get back, Okaa-san. Thanks for this!"

Still, Nana hadn't looked convinced and Tsuna wasn't sure he was either.

Wiping his brow, he placed the last plate inside the kitchen pantry. Unpacking all of his boxes in one day _might've_ been too ambitious, but he wasn't too keen about living in a cramped space with two other people. He peered out the window and covered his eyes when the sunset's glare struck his face. The streets were fairly quiet aside from a few chirping birds. A cool breeze swept through the trees, rustling the thin branches.

Summer was almost over.

Soon, someone knocked on his door. Tsuna closed the window drapes halfway before heading to the entrance. Turning the handle, he barely had time to blink when some shopping bags were shoved in his arms.

"What the hell?" he said, stumbling.

Bianchi toed off her shoes at the entranceway. "Thanks for the help."

Tsuna scowled as she entered the apartment. "Seriously?" He looked down at the myriad of colorful bags. "Why did you buy so much?"

"I told you, we have nothing." Bianchi perused the apartment with a blank face. "Not bad."

Tsuna dropped the bags on his brown couch, his arms aching. "My c—"

Bianchi tossed his credit card in the air. Scrambling, Tsuna barely caught it in time. When he found nothing wrong with it, he slipped it back into his wallet. Sending Bianchi out to buy what she and Hayato needed may or may not have been one of his best decisions, but at least it gave him some time to think about what the hell he was doing.

"Am I going to have a heart attack when I check my balance?"

Bianchi poked her head out of his—well, _her_ —bedroom. "Did you say something?"

Tsuna sighed, leaning against the doorway. "Forget it. Is the room okay?" The bedroom had a twin-sized bed and a closet. Tsuna's old writing desk was near the window, which looked out into the streets. Bianchi scrutinized every small nook and cranny with lazy but still sharp eyes. "I don't have it bugged if that's what you're worried about. I don't think Namimori sells those kinds of things anyways."

Bianchi hummed. "This is fine."

"You can take the bed. I have an extra futon for Hayato. He can sleep here with you."

"Where will you sleep?"

"Couch." Tsuna gestured at the kitchen. "Want something to eat?"

Bianchi raised a brow. "You cook?"

Tsuna grinned. "Oh, yeah. I cook."

* * *

Sleep wasn't kind.

A soft chorus of insects chirped outside. Tsuna lost count of how many times he tossed and turned on the couch. It wasn't even that uncomfortable—he just felt trapped. Whenever he closed his eyes, he could still smell burned flesh, faintly burning his nose, and feel Ferro's hand tightening around his throat, cutting off his airway and—

Tsuna sat up then. For a moment, silence rang in his ears until he heard the insects' small symphony again. He tossed his blanket to the side. It was suddenly too hot. The apartment was dark and quiet, his raspy breaths the only sound breaching the hushed silence. Bianchi's door was closed. Disheveling his hair, Tsuna sighed deeply into his hand. Maybe he should just pop some more pills. He shook his head. They'd just keep appearing in his dreams anyways.

Sighing again, he stood up and stumbled into the kitchen. He blinked a couple of times when he turned on the light. Holy, maybe he should just go back to the couch. Before he could, he was already brewing hot water. He grabbed a random tea packet beside his coffee machine and tapped his finger on the counter to an invisible beat.

"Can't sleep?"

Tsuna jumped. He exhaled shakily, massaging the bridge of his nose. "We gotta work on that."

Bianchi raised a brow but her lips marginally twitched. She stood by the kitchen doorway, her arms crossed. "You just need to be more aware of your surroundings."

Tsuna groaned. "I don't need to be taught how to live my life from a kid."

Bianchi narrowed her eyes. "I'm not a kid."

"Yeah—you, Hayato, not kids, got it." Tsuna glanced at the clock. It was 3:09 AM. "Why're you up anyways?"

Bianchi huffed. "I thought someone was robbing the place. You were loud."

Tsuna scoffed. "Thanks for calling me a lousy thief. Sorry if I woke you." He caught Bianchi rubbing her arm at the corner of his eye, her shoulders a little tense. "You want some tea?"

Bianchi stayed quiet while Tsuna poured hot water in an orange mug. He quirked a brow when she plopped down on a chair. "Might as well keep you company," she said, crossing her legs.

Rolling his eyes, Tsuna grabbed another cup. After dropping the tea bags inside, he handed it to Bianchi and sat across from her.

"It's not poisoned or anything," he said, blowing his own mug.

Bianchi huffed. "I know."

They sat there for a few minutes in silence; the crickets continued chirping outside, oblivious. Tsuna wished he was the same. He rubbed his eyes, which burned a little. Sleep should be his top priority but apparently, life liked biting him in the ass.

"I don't know how you do it," he said quietly.

Bianchi leaned her chin on her palm. "Do what?"

Tsuna waved his hand in the air. "This—all of this. I'm not trying to pry, but I honestly don't get it." He gripped his hair as his elbow thumped on the dining table. "You're just kids."

Bianchi's grip tightened around her mug. "We're not _kids_ , Sawada."

"You're not fucking adults, that's for sure."

Bianchi pursed her lips, avoiding Tsuna's gaze. "We're survivors."

Tsuna's heart sank, his mouth suddenly feeling dry. He mentally kicked himself. Yeah, they were kids, but he couldn't ignore the fact that they weren't kids, too—or more like robbed of their childhood. Vaguely, he wondered how many more were out there like Hayato and Bianchi.

"Right," he said, his voice slightly strained. "Right. Sorry. I just…"

Bianchi looked down at her cup, finding interest in her green tea. "I'm only concerned about keeping Hayato safe. That's all."

"I know." Tsuna sipped his cup, feeling more awake when the hot tea touched his tongue. "Do you know what I'm concerned about?"

"No. Why would I?"

"I'm concerned about whether or not I'm doing the right thing."

Bianchi raised a brow. "Last I checked, _you_ were the one who offered your place."

"You had nowhere else to go unless there's some secret, ultra-rich uncle you're hiding from me. By the way, I almost got a heart attack when I checked my balance."

"Think of it as something for a good cause, like helping two helpless kids."

Tsuna made a face. "You're disgusting."

Bianchi flicked a strand of her hair over her shoulder. "Oh, sweetie, you don't even know."

"Don't call me that again— _ever_."

Bianchi smirked. "Honey."

"No."

"Darling. Dear."

"I'm going to strangle you."

Bianchi shrugged. "You need to get out more."

Tsuna stared at her incredulously. "Are you kidding me? With everything's that happened, I'm thinking of becoming a hermit. You know, the mountains in Namimori aren't bad. I might consider that."

"You can do whatever you want," Bianchi said, sipping her cup.

Tsuna leaned back against his seat. "I was serious though—how _do_ you do it?" He pursed his lips, averting his gaze when Bianchi looked at him. "I still see them. I saw them, a few minutes ago. I can't get them out of my head."

Bianchi didn't respond right away but Tsuna didn't rush her. He was just exhausted, and thinking required too much energy and effort that he didn't have. His fingers drummed lightly against the table unconsciously, tapping a random rhythm.

"You know," Bianchi said slowly, "we don't really _do_ anything. We just cope."

"That's…really unhealthy."

"I see them, too." Bianchi stared past Tsuna, her eyes a bit glazed over. "All the time." She then met his gaze. She looked haunted, a ghost of a teenager who was teetering on the edge. "I don't know how to get rid of them. I'm not a saint. I can't forget."

Tsuna exhaled through his nose but didn't speak. For a moment, neither of them did. In a brief second of clarity, Tsuna remembered that he was young too, a young adult to be exact. Whoever stuck "adult" there must've been out of his mind. All three of them were kids—him, Hayato, and Bianchi. It didn't matter how old Tsuna was. Labels were just labels, meaningless and insignificant in the grand scheme of things. God, he never thought so much about obscure shit since his college days. Being a night owl was nice and all when it was actually useful.

"Yeah," Tsuna said. "I just—Sorry, I shouldn't have pushed." He rested his head against his hand. "Do you have plans?"

Bianchi didn't blink. "Plans?"

"Yeah, plans. What are you going to do? I've been meaning to ask you this: how old are you? And _don't_ try to be funny. I'm really not in the mood for it."

Bianchi huffed. "Why are you asking?"

"So I know when to expect to get my bed back."

Bianchi rolled her eyes. "We won't stay long."

"Not helping."

" _Fine_. We're planning to work. Get enough money for both of us."

Tsuna pursed his lips. "Yeah, and again, how _old_ are you two?"

Bianchi slumped against her chair, scowling. "Why?"

"Just tell me before I throw this cup at you. Tea's still hot."

Rolling her eyes again, Bianchi looked down at the tiled floor. "Hayato's 14. I'm 17." Tsuna raised a brow. Honestly, Bianchi looked a little younger than 17. Maybe it was because how thin she was. She glared at him. "Happy?"

"I don't think you'll be happy," Tsuna said, "when I tell you that Hayato won't be eligible to work."

Bianchi furrowed her brows. "We'll get by."

"Uh, no, you won't. Remember Hibari-san? Practically has Namimori under his thumb? He might not be the nicest guy around here but he's a stickler with the law, national or not. Last I checked, kids under 15 aren't allowed to work. Don't blame me, blame the Constitution. You're a little different but either way, Hayato can't work. And don't try to act clever. Hibari-san will find out and you'd be out of Namimori before you know it."

Bianchi clicked her tongue. "Maybe coming here was a mistake."

Tsuna smiled slightly. "What about school? You're both fluent in Japanese. There shouldn't be much of a problem. Plus, it'll keep you and Hayato occupied for some time until we can sort things out."

Bianchi deadpanned. "I thought you wanted us out as soon as possible."

"I'm not having both of you cooped up in the house forever, yeah, but we need to think realistically. Hayato can't work but he can still go to school. I know you hate me calling you kids but he's 14. Honestly, he should have a break from your, well, pasts and adjust. He should be meeting others his age, making friends, that kind of stuff. You're no different. I'm not preventing you from working—that's up to you—but these are the options you have. When do you turn 18?"

"November."

"That's in 3 months." Tsuna sipped his cup. "Okay, here's what we're going to do. You can stay until then. Raise enough money to support the two of you. I'll help. I'm going to start working from next Monday. _But_ you're going to have to run things by me."

Bianchi frowned. "What does that mean?"

"Anything you're going to do or thinking about doing has to go through me first. Neither of us wants to draw Hibari-san's attention, right?" When Bianchi clicked her tongue, Tsuna took that as a signal to continue. "I know you're not a fan of this but I'm taking responsibility for you and Hayato, so we're going to have to cooperate somehow. You don't need to trust me or even get along, just be aware of the consequences."

For a few minutes, Bianchi mulled over what he said. Her fingers nearly bruised her arms and her knuckles were white, almost matching the color of her skin. Finally, she sighed. "Okay." She narrowed her eyes. "But I can't guarantee that Hayato will actually go to school."

"Just make it work, Bianchi. I don't care if he flunks his classes but if either of you gets into any trouble, I don't know if I can do anything again."

"Fine."

After that, they parted ways for the night. Tsuna didn't sleep, not even when dawn arrived.

* * *

The smell and sizzling of eggs permeated in the air. Coffee brewed in the machine and the toaster was on with two slices of bread. Since there wasn't much he had, Tsuna just went with a simple Western breakfast. Besides, he didn't think he'd be able to cook much. There were groceries he had to buy and sleep he had to catch up with. But with most of his savings spent on whatever Bianchi bought yesterday, that didn't seem too likely.

He sighed, filling up the plates. "Shit…"

"What's going on with you now?"

Tsuna nearly screamed and almost dropped the plates. "What—Seriously, _stop_ doing that."

Bianchi plopped down on a chair without as much as a glance. She wore some fresh clothes that Tsuna never remembered her wearing. Probably something she bought on her shopping spree. "Be more aware," she said in a sing-song voice.

Scowling, Tsuna dumped her plate in front of her. "Whatever." He poured himself a cup of coffee and some orange juice for Bianchi. "You can apply to Namimori High. It's the closest school and right in this district. I could drop you off later to get you admitted." He sat down and spread some butter on his toast. "Kusakabe-san gave you your papers, right?"

Bianchi just nodded, cutting her eggs delicately. "I know where it is."

"I'm your guardian so I'll have to go with you."

Bianchi pursed her lips but didn't say anything. They both ate in silence until their plates were scraped clean. Tsuna drank the last of his coffee before collecting their dishes and placing them in the sink. "I'll take you out when I come back," he said.

"Where are you going?" Bianchi said warily.

"Out."

Tsuna turned the water on and washed the plates quickly when Bianchi said, "You're going to meet that woman."

He slightly winced. "I'm just going out."

"You're being stupid."

Tsuna dried his hands with a small towel. "I'm being _nice_."

"Who knows what she has done? She worked with them."

"Against her own will."

"You don't know that."

Tsuna sighed irritably. "Okay, I don't know anything about her circumstances but I know a victim when I see one. She had wounds on her wrists—rope burns."

Bianchi scoffed. "You can't justify that from just those. She might have a kink. Everyone has those."

"No. It's not like that. I know." Tsuna grabbed the newspaper he had found on his doorstep this morning and tossed it at Bianchi. "Job listings. Look through them until I get back."

"What?"

"My house, my rules. Don't burn anything."

* * *

The police station looked a little gloomier early morning. There was no press or reporters hounding the doors and for a second, Tsuna thought it was closed until they slid open for him. Three officers manned the front desk and looked up immediately when he entered.

"Is there something you need, sir?" one of them said.

"I was wondering if Detective Kusakabe is in?" Tsuna said.

"He is. Would you like me to call him for you?"

Tsuna tensed when he heard footsteps behind him. The policemen stood up and bowed.

"Detective Mochida," the shorter one greeted.

Turning, Tsuna stepped aside when Mochida entered with a big yawn. He looked tired but freshly-shaven. He waved lazily at the policemen. "Yo," he said. "How's everything going?"

"Everything's fine, Mochida-san," a bespectacled policeman said. "How are you?"

"I'm good," Mochida said, leaning on the front desk. "Just went out to change. My wife's been nagging at me for not wearing the suits she bought me. How's Akane and the baby, Jiro?"

Jiro fixed his glasses but couldn't contain the excitement from his weary eyes. "They're great, Mochida-san. My mother-in-law is helping around the house. Akane's been sending me pictures."

Mochida nodded. "That's good to hear. Don't push yourself too much, alright? All of you."

"Yes, Mochida-san!"

"Okay then." Mochida rapped his knuckles twice on the desk. "Go right home when your shift's done." He glanced at Tsuna and gestured his head towards the elevator. "I'll take him with me."

Tsuna frowned but followed Mochida anyways. The station was fairly quiet other than keyboards clacking and the coffee machine brewing in the break room. A few detectives were seated at their desks, shifting through some papers. Tsuna wondered if they were lists of the victims with missing organs.

"Why are you here, Sawada?" Mochida said, stopping short in front of the elevator.

Tsuna didn't meet his eyes. "I wanted to meet with Kusakabe-san."

Mochida hummed disinterestedly as he pressed the "up" button. "He's here but busy. You wouldn't want to bother a busy man, do you?"

Tsuna pursed his lips. "No."

"You're here for that woman." The elevator dinged before the doors slid open. Tsuna didn't move as Mochida entered. The man turned to face him, his face blank. "Well, aren't you coming?"

* * *

When Olivia was brought out, she wore a blue prisoner's outfit. Her hair was clean at least. The bruise on her head looked nastier than the other day, contrasting with her sallow skin. She blinked in surprise when she saw Tsuna at the table.

"You," she said. "Tsuna."

Tsuna nodded, giving her a reassuring smile. "Yeah, that's me," he responded in Italian. "You look better."

After the two guards left the small conference room, Olivia looked down at her handcuffed wrists. "They took your sweater," she said. "I'm sorry."

Tsuna shook his head. "Oh, don't worry about it. I have plenty. How are you? Are they treating you okay?"

"Why did you come?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Olivia chewed on her lip, avoiding Tsuna's eyes. Her gaze was only focused on the smooth, wooden table. Tsuna could only guess what she was thinking and didn't blame her. She might've shown a bit of trust to him yesterday but it was more out of desperation than anything else.

"May I—May I hold your hands?" Olivia said.

Tsuna tilted his head but edged his chair closer to the table anyways. "Oh, um, okay."

Olivia smiled wryly. "I can't hurt you. I won't."

Tsuna's breath hitched. "I know."

Still, his hands trembled as he reached out across the table to grip Olivia's. They felt cool under his palms. Olivia didn't move but smiled comfortingly, which made Tsuna relax a bit. Suddenly, yellow slowly bled into her brown eyes. Tsuna blinked a couple of times to make sure he was seeing things right.

"You are tired," Olivia said. "You have not slept well."

Tsuna forced a small chuckle. "Well, with everything that happened lately, I'm not exactly getting some shut-eye."

"You're scared." Okay, Olivia's eyes were definitely yellow. What the hell? "Don't worry. I can't do anything to you." Her lips curled into a slight smile. "There's nothing I will do to you, Tsuna."

"The more you say that, the more I believe it's not true. I don't recommend that tactic by the way."

Olivia laughed gently, the tension easing from her shoulders. "I apologize. I tend to get too serious." She then glanced down at their hands. The same defeated look returned in her now golden-yellow eyes. "I have many regrets in my life but my son was never one of them." She licked her chapped lips and Tsuna wished he could've at least brought her a cup of water. "We're not normal. _I'm_ not normal."

Tsuna felt a small shiver crawl up his spine. He wasn't going to like this.

"You're an innocent young man," Olivia said. "You shouldn't know these things, just like those children. If I had the power to keep my world from meeting yours, I would do it, for people like you and for my son."

"Your eyes," Tsuna said, his voice a little strained. "They're…"

What could he say? They were yellow, a bizarrely, golden yellow that was an unnatural hue for anyone. Suddenly, he remembered Ferro's almost neon blue eye. He didn't want to believe that Olivia or Ferro weren't human but the thought seemed weaker with every passing minute.

Olivia looked up then, meeting his gaze almost shyly. "Yes, they're…different."

Tsuna kept his mouth shut, afraid of what he'd say. He gasped when Olivia's eyes glowed, or was it the light?

"It's alright to be afraid," Olivia said, as if the fact was nothing new to her, but there was a somber tone to her raspy voice. "It's only natural."

"Ferro"—Olivia flinched when Tsuna uttered the criminal's name—"he—his eye. It was blue. He—He had me up against the wall. He was so close." Olivia's hands tightened underneath Tsuna's and his mirrored the small action. "I see him, feel him, all the time. I couldn't breathe. I still can't when I—I think about him. But I can't help it. He—God, his bones. I saw their _bones_."

A sudden rush of calm washed over Tsuna's body. His heart slowly but surely returned to its normal pace. Tsuna furrowed his brows at the quick retreat from his panic attack. Olivia breathed in deeply through her nose, then exhaled.

"What happened?" Tsuna said, blinking at how steady his voice sounded.

"You seemed stressed," Olivia said.

"I…never calmed down like that so easily before."

"It's nice to have a helping hand. I'm sorry for doing this without your permission."

Tsuna tensed. "Without my…permission?"

Olivia smiled shakily. "Yes. I—I can sense your emotions. I can control them, too, to an extent. It might sound too ridiculous to believe but…I am telling the truth."

"So…" Tsuna took a shaky breath. "You're like, an empath." He laughed, shaking his head. "You've _got_ to be kidding me. This—Am I crazy for actually believing this? It sounds ridiculous but I—I actually believe it."

Again, a soothing sensation rippled through his body, like a cool balm spreading in his nerves by a gentle hand. Tsuna looked at Olivia, relaxed and unable to show any indications of surprise. He just felt… _calm_. It was both relieving and creepy at the same time, but he was mostly content because…he'd never felt so much at peace like this in a while.

Olivia pursed her lips. "I can—I can stop, but I thought that you'd like it." She let go of Tsuna's hands, her eyes returning to their original brown color. "I apologize for overwhelming you."

"Are the—Are the others like you?"

Olivia shook her head. "No, not like me. Everyone—They're all different. My son, he's like me but he can see more." Her shoulders hunched, making her look smaller than she seemed. "We didn't choose to become this way… I—We—Carcassa does more than trade girls and drugs."

The room dropped a couple of degrees. Tsuna's eyes widened and he could hear his blood pumping in his ears. "W—What?" he croaked out.

"I—I had no choice," Olivia said, not meeting his gaze. "We had no money and my husband said that they'd pay us and—I shouldn't have gone. My boy, my son…"

Tsuna sighed softly when Olivia broke down into tears and covered her face with her hands. Her sobs deepened the ache in his chest. He looked around to see if there were any tissues but found nothing, aside from some potted bamboo plants and sleek shelves with books no one probably ever touched.

"Ol—"

Tsuna stumbled a bit when the ground shook. Olivia sucked in a deep breath, looking up with wide eyes. Her cheeks were flushed and wet with tears.

"What the hell was that?" Tsuna said.

Some distant shouts came from outside. Tsuna headed towards the windows and pulled back the drapes just as Olivia said, "No!"

The ground shook again, vibrating faintly under Tsuna's feet. He nearly fell if he hadn't grabbed onto to the drapes and pulled himself up. A shudder ran through his body when he caught a glimpse outside. A young woman with long black hair and a dirty coat lifted another car over her head and threw it at the building like it was nothing. Another tremor shook the police station.

Tsuna flinched when Olivia dashed over to pull the curtains close. She scowled at him. "What are you doing? She could've seen you and you'd be dead!"

Tsuna gaped at her. "She just—She just picked up a car and…"

He jumped when the door slammed open. Mochida stood at the doorway, his eyes narrowed. "Sawada, we need to go."

"What's going on?" Tsuna said.

"A little hitch," Mochida said, leading him and Olivia out the door. "Nothing to worry about."

"I just saw a woman throw a fucking car at the police station."

"Oh, wow, really?" Mochida fished a small key from his belt and unlocked Olivia's handcuffs. "You do as I say and we'll all be happy campers, alright?"

"She can't understand you," Tsuna deadpanned.

Mochida raised a brow. "Well then, translate. Come on."

The building shook again. Tsuna flushed when Olivia steadied his fall. "Thank you."

"Looks like her friends decided to say hi earlier than we thought," Mochida said, opening the door to the stairwell.

"Don't you have a plan?" Tsuna said. His grip tightened on the rail.

"Oh yeah, sure. It's going perfectly actually."

Mochida shrugged, dashing down the steps five paces ahead. "Miscalculations happen. Now stop questioning me."

Either Mochida was trolling with him or this was some freaky drill they were pulling—why did Tsuna's guts say otherwise? He yelped when the building shook again, but this time, a distant boom resounded in the distance.

"Olivia," he said in Italian, exiting through a door Mochida opened for him, "what the hell is going on? Who was that woman?"

Olivia didn't even look out of breath compared to him. Okay, Tsuna, get your shit together. This wasn't the time for that. Several policemen were shouting at each other and rushing around the station. Four or five cars were piled up in front of the main entrance. Shattered glass littered the dusty ground along with some debris.

Mochida hummed under his breath and looked at the chaos as if it was some kind of normal occurrence. "That's going to put a nasty bump on the bills," he said. "Sawada, follow me."

He led them to a room further down where there were no detectives around. When he opened the door, Tsuna pursed his lips when he realized it was a supply closet.

"Your hospitality's amazing, Mochida-san," he said.

"Sawada, time's not my best friend at the moment. I need you to stay put with Olivia. Don't take candies from strangers, okay? Sit tight."

"Wait!"

Tsuna grunted when Mochida shoved them both inside and shut the door in his face. The lock clicked. The lights were dim inside the supply closet but everything was relatively clean and well-organized. Tsuna's nose wrinkled at the scent of dust and cleaning bleach. Olivia turned off the lights and pulled him down to sit beside her, making him yelp. She hushed him immediately.

"You must stay quiet," she whispered.

Tsuna's hands clenched into fists by his side. "What the hell is going on?"

Olivia let out a shuddering breath. Tsuna sensed her hands hovering near his arm, as if she was hesitant to touch him. "They're here," she said. "Idiots—all of them. The police can do nothing against them. I warned them."

Tsuna tensed when another boom shook the floor. A few buckets rattled beside him but he didn't move. Olivia's breath hitched.

"Any way you could give a crash course?" Tsuna said, his voice strained. "Not a fan of not knowing what the hell's going on."

"Mia," Olivia said. "That woman—she's Mia."

"She can pick up a car."

Olivia chuckled humorlessly. "Yes, but she can do worse. I saw her split skulls with her bare hands, men twice her size."

"Did _not_ ask for that."

"If Mia's here, the others aren't too far behind. Rico and Ferro might've led us but the others shouldn't be underestimated."

"Please tell me that woman's the only one who went through some freakish experiment."

Tsuna could sense Olivia smile grimly in the dark. "I wish I can if it were true."

"Fuck."

Suddenly, it was quiet, too quiet. Tsuna swallowed a small lump in his throat. A bead of sweat dripped down his face. The room felt too hot. He could his heart gradually pick up its pace.

"Wh—"

Tsuna froze when Olivia covered his mouth with her hand. Soon, he heard them—footsteps. Distant, muted, but they were _there_ and coming closer every second. The two of them sat there on the cold ground, frozen. Neither of them breathed a whiff of air. Olivia's palm was sweaty against Tsuna's face but he didn't shy away.

Where were the detectives? Are they dead? Who was in the police station? Mia? Someone else? Tsuna prayed that it was Kusakabe, Mochida, or even Masato, but his instincts told him it wasn't either of them. The small scrapes of the footsteps drew closer. Sneakers—the person was wearing sneakers. A cool sensation pricked the inside of his body but fizzled out as soon as it came. Olivia's other hand tightened around his arm.

 _Walk past us_ , he thought frantically, staring intently at the small crack underneath the door. A shed of light filtered through it. _Keep walking_.

His heart nearly stopped when two shadows suddenly appeared. They moved slowly, coming in from the left.

 _Keep walking_ …

Tsuna's breath hitched when the shadow stopped in front of the door. Olivia became rigid like a statue against him. His guts screamed at him to run but there was nowhere to go.

It all happened too quickly. The door crumpled easily like rolled up paper before it shot above their heads. Tsuna didn't know who screamed but it didn't matter. The fluorescent lights nearly blinded him if it weren't for the tall, lanky man standing at the front. He grinned, revealing a silver tooth.

"Olivia," he said in Italian, "I'm glad to see you well, honey."

* * *

 **A/N So like, I'll leave you peeps dangling on that cliff there just a little more. :^)**

 **A little fun fact: According to Japan's National Labor Law in their constitution, kids under 15 cannot be employed to work unless it's for films or theatrical stages. Kid under 18 can be employed outside of school hours as long as the work is light and not dangerous to them.**

 **I guess Bianchi and Tsuna bonded a little more? Not really? It's hard to tell, haha. A lot happened here, kind of. Poor Tsuna—what the hell is going on with his life? :^)**

 **Thank you so much for reading! I hope to see you again in the next chapter.**

 **Have a lovely day~**

 **Little Miss Bunny**


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